grass roots

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grass roots

pl n

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy)

a. the ordinary people as distinct from the active leadership of a party or organization: used esp of the rank-and-file members of a political party, or of the voters themselves

b. (as modifier): the newly elected MP expressed a wish for greater contact with people at grass-roots level.

2. the origin or essentials

[C20: sense 1 originally US, with reference to rural areas in contrast to the towns]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

grass′ roots′

n.
(used with a sing. or pl. v.)

1. ordinary citizens, esp. as contrasted with the leadership or elite.

2. the people inhabiting these areas, esp. as a political, social, or economic group.

3. the origin or basis of something.

grass′-roots′, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	grass roots - the essential foundation or source; "the problem was attacked at the grass roots" foundation - the basis on which something is grounded; "there is little foundation for his objections"
	2.	grass roots - the common people at a local level (as distinguished from the centers of political activity) plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one common people, folk, folks - people in general (often used in the plural); "they're just country folk"; "folks around here drink moonshine"; "the common people determine the group character and preserve its customs from one generation to the next"

Translations

grass roots

npl (fig) → base f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in classic literature ?

She's a-coming, fellows, gold from the grass roots down, a hundred dollars to the pan, and a stampede in from the Outside fifty thousand strong.

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At the base of the "V," by the water's edge, he had found the gold colors at the grass roots. The higher he went up the hill, the deeper the gold dipped.

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That said, I shop farmers markets because the food is often superior to grocery store offerings, and I admire those who seek to put their ideals into practice, like the Arkansas farmers who've formed the Grass Roots Farmers Cooperative.