variants
or less commonly rootball
plural root balls also rootballs
: the compact mass of roots and soil formed by a plant especially in a container
If there are large circling roots or you have a difficult time straightening the roots, the root ball should be thinned and the soil loosened before planting.—
Carey Brothers
Carey BrothersExamples of root ball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If in a plastic pot, squeeze the sides to loosen the root ball and tip the pot sideways to slide it out of the pot.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Gently loosen the roots and remove the old soil, then transfer the whole root ball to the pot.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024
Place the plant in the new pot so the top of the root ball is about one inch below the surface.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024
Dig a hole as deep as the root ball but twice as wide.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for root ball 
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Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2024
Gently loosen the roots and remove the old soil, then transfer the whole root ball to the pot.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024
Place the plant in the new pot so the top of the root ball is about one inch below the surface.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024
Dig a hole as deep as the root ball but twice as wide.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for root ball
Dictionary Entries Near root ball
Cite this Entry
“Root ball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20ball. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
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