rhizome
nounUK /ˈraɪzəʊm/
US /ˈraɪzoʊm/
A thick underground stem that grows sideways and makes new plants.
The ginger we eat is actually a rhizome that grows under the ground.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A continuously growing network or structure that spreads in many directions without a single center.
The internet is often described as a rhizome because it has no central point.
3. In philosophy, a model of thought where ideas connect in many directions rather than in a single line.
The philosopher used the idea of a rhizome to explain how knowledge spreads.
4. A creeping root-like stem of a fern or similar plant.
Ferns spread across the garden through their rhizomes.