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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Radical \Rad"i*cal\ (r[a^]d"[i^]*kal), 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.
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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.
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The most determined exertions of that authority,
against them, only showed their radical
independence. --Burke.
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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.
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4. (Philol.) Relating, or belonging, to the root, or ultimate
source of derivation; as, a radical verbal form.
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5. (Math.) Of or pertaining to a radix or root; as, a radical
quantity; a radical sign. See below.
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{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.
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Syn: Primitive; original; natural; underived; fundamental;
entire.

Usage: {Radical}, {Entire}. These words are frequently
employed as interchangeable in describing some marked
alteration 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 an
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.
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Radical \Rad"i*cal\ (r[a^]d"[i^]*kal), 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.
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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.
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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.
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In politics they [the Independents] were, to use the
phrase of their own time, "Root-and-Branch men," or,
to use the kindred phrase of our own, Radicals.
--Macaulay.
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3. (Chem.)
(a) A characteristic, essential, and fundamental
constituent of any compound; hence, sometimes, an
atom.
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As a general rule, the metallic atoms are basic
radicals, while the nonmetallic atoms are acid
radicals. --J. P. Cooke.
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(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}.
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4. (Alg.) A radical quantity. See under {Radical}, a.
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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.)
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5. (Anat.) A radical vessel. See under {Radical}, a.
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Residue \Res"i*due\ (r?z"?-d?), n. [F. r['e]sidu, L. residuum,
fr. residuus that is left behind, remaining, fr. residere to
remain behind. See {Reside}, and cf. {Residuum}.]
1. That which remains after a part is taken, separated,
removed, or designated; remnant; remainder.
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The residue of them will I deliver to the sword.
--Jer. xv. 9.
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If church power had then prevailed over its victims,
not a residue of English liberty would have been
saved. --I. Taylor.
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2. (Law) That part of a testeator's estate wwhich is not
disposed of in his will by particular and special legacies
and devises, and which remains after payment of debts and
legacies.
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3. (Chem.) That which remains of a molecule after the removal
of a portion of its constituents; hence, an atom or group
regarded as a portion of a molecule; a {moiety} or
{group}; -- used as nearly equivalent to {radical}, but in
a more general sense.
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Note: The term radical is sometimes restricted to groups
containing carbon, the term residue and {moiety} being
applied to the others.
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4. (Theory of Numbers) Any positive or negative number that
differs from a given number by a multiple of a given
modulus; thus, if 7 is the modulus, and 9 the given
number, the numbers -5, 2, 16, 23, etc., are residues.
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Syn: Rest; remainder; remnant; balance; residuum; remains;
leavings; relics.
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