rostrum
Origin of rostrum
Words nearby rostrum
MORE ABOUT ROSTRUM
What does rostrum mean?
Rostrum most commonly means a kind of platform for public speaking.
Close synonyms are podium and lectern. A pulpit can also be called a rostrum.
Rostrum also has a few very different meanings.
In biology, a rostrum is a beak or beaklike part. This sense of the word was extended to refer to the beaklike projection on the prow of a ship, especially one on an ancient Roman warship that was used for ramming enemy ships. The ancient Romans sometimes decorated columns and platforms with the rostrums of captured ships (or with representations of them). This led to the use of the word rostrum to refer to a speaking platform.
The adjective rostral can be used to describe such columns (called rostral columns). Rostral is also used in the context of anatomy, especially of animals, to describe things that have or resemble a beak or snout.
The correct plural form of rostrum can be rostrums or rostra.
Example: I’m always nervous before a big speech, but I become calm as soon as I step onto the rostrum.
Where does rostrum come from?
The first records of the word rostrum in English come from the 1500s. It comes from the Latin rōstrum, meaning “snout,” “bill,” “beak of a bird,” or “ship’s prow” (when used in its plural form, rōstra, it referred to a speaker’s platform, a reference to the fact that this platform in the Roman forum was decorated with the prows of captured ships).
The word rostrum is used to mean slightly different things in different contexts and places, such as in a theater or an orchestra venue. In a church, the rostrum is the pulpit. In any case, rostrums are usually raised in some way so that the audience can see the speaker.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to rostrum?
- rostrums (plural)
- rostra (plural)
- rostral (adjective)
What are some synonyms for rostrum?
What are some words that share a root or word element with rostrum?
What are some words that often get used in discussing rostrum?
How is rostrum used in real life?
Rostrum is most commonly used to refer to a speaking platform.
The @IPL rostrum is being built as we speak! Plenty of helpers getting the job done in time for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/AgRGC8V4rx
— Richard Madley (@iplauctioneer) February 19, 2017
Young tried to go up to the Speaker's rostrum to speak and was redirected to the floor podium.
— Brandon J. Smith (@brandonjsmith5) February 21, 2017
A more shark-like Ornithoprion that uses its rostrum like a spear. #SharkWeek2020
Now, I'm going to sleep. pic.twitter.com/tklY9gsJZX— spineless.chordate (@alfaizinsakit) August 13, 2020
Try using rostrum!
Which of the following words is a synonym of rostrum?
A. podium
B. dais
C. lectern
D. all of the above