3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Radical \Rad"i*cal\, a. [F., fr L. radicalis having roots, fr
radix, -icis, a root. See {Radix}.]
1. Of or pertaining to the root; proceeding directly from the
root.
2. Hence: Of or pertaining to the root or origin; reaching to
the center, to the foundation to the ultimate sources to
the principles, or the like: original; fundamental;
thorough-going; unsparing; extreme; as radical evils;
radical reform; a radical party.
The most determined exertions of that authority,
against them only showed their radical
independence. --Burke.
3. (Bot.)
a Belonging to or proceeding from the root of a plant;
as radical tubers or hairs.
b Proceeding from a rootlike stem, or one which does not
rise above the ground; as the radical leaves of the
dandelion and the sidesaddle flower.
4. (Philol.) Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate
source of derivation; as a radical verbal form
5. (Math.) Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as a radical
quantity; a radical sign. See below.
{Radical axis of two circles}. (Geom.) See under {Axis}.
{Radical pitch}, the pitch or tone with which the utterance
of a syllable begins. --Rush.
{Radical quantity} (Alg.), a quantity to which the radical
sign is prefixed; specifically, a quantity which is not a
perfect power of the degree indicated by the radical sign;
a surd.
{Radical sign} (Math.), the sign [root] (originally the
letter r, the initial of radix, root), placed before any
quantity, denoting that its root is to be extracted; thus
[root]a, or [root](a + b). To indicate any other than the
square root, a corresponding figure is placed over the
sign; thus [cuberoot]a, indicates the third or cube root
of a.
{Radical stress} (Elocution), force of utterance falling on
the initial part of a syllable or sound.
{Radical vessels} (Anat.), minute vessels which originate in
the substance of the tissues.
Syn: Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental;
entire.
Usage: {Radical}, {Entire}. These words are frequently
employed as interchangeable in describing some marked
alternation in the condition of things There is
however, an obvious difference between them A radical
cure, reform, etc., is one which goes to the root of
the thing in question; and it is entire, in the sense
that by affecting the root, it affects in a
appropriate degree the entire body nourished by the
root; but it may not be entire in the sense of making
a change complete in its nature, as well as in its
extent. Hence we speak of a radical change; a radical
improvement; radical differences of opinion; while an
entire change, an entire improvement, an entire
difference of opinion, might indicate more than was
actually intended. A certain change may be both
radical and entire, in every sense
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Radical \Rad"i*cal\, n.
1. (Philol.)
a A primitive word a radix, root, or simple, underived,
uncompounded word an etymon.
b A primitive letter; a letter that belongs to the
radix.
The words we at present make use of and
understand only by common agreement, assume a
new air and life in the understanding, when you
trace them to their radicals, where you find
every word strongly stamped with nature; full of
energy, meaning, character, painting, and
poetry. --Cleland.
2. (Politics) One who advocates radical changes in government
or social institutions, especially such changes as are
intended to level class inequalities; -- opposed to
conservative.
In politics they [the Independents] were to use
phrase of their own time. ``Root-and-Branch men,''
or to use the kindred phrase of our own Radicals.
--Macaulay.
3. (Chem.)
a A characteristic, essential, and fundamental
constituent of any compound; hence sometimes an
atom.
As a general rule the metallic atoms are basic
radicals, while the nonmetallic atoms are acid
radicals. --J. P. Cooke.
b Specifically, a group of two or more atoms, not
completely saturated, which are so linked that their
union implies certain properties, and are conveniently
regarded as playing the part of a single atom; a
residue; -- called also a {compound radical}. Cf
{Residue}.
4. (Alg.) A radical quantity. See under {Radical}, a.
An indicated root of a perfect power of the degree
indicated is not a radical but a rational quantity
under a radical form --Davies &
Peck (Math.
Dict.)
5. (Anat.) A radical vessel. See under {Radical}, a.
From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]:
radical
adj 1: (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm;
"extremist political views"; "radical opinions on
education"; "an ultra conservative" [syn: {extremist},
{ultra}]
2: markedly new or introducing radical change; "a revolutionary
discovery"; "radical political views" [syn: {revolutionary}]
3: arising from or going to the root; "a radical flaw in the
plan" [syn: {root}]
4: (linguistics) of or relating to or constituting a linguistic
root; "a radical verb form"
5: (botany) especially of leaves; located at the base of a
plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root
or rootstock or a root-like stem; "basal placentation";
"radical leaves" [syn: {basal}] [ant: {cauline}]
n 1: two or more atoms bound together as a single unit and
forming part of a molecule [syn: {group}]
2: an atom or group of atoms with at least one unpaired
electron; "in the body free radicals are high-energy
particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells" [syn: {free
radical}]
3: a person who has radical ideas or opinions
4: a character conveying the lexical meaning of a logogram
5: a sign placed in front of an expression to denote that a
root is to be extracted [syn: {radical sign}]
6: (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are
removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" [syn: {root},
{root word}, {base}, {stem}, {theme}]
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