rostrum

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a raised platform for a public speaker, conductor, or other prominent person

   The conductor stepped onto the rostrum and raised her baton.

2. 2
   noun

   a beaklike snout, projection, or mouthpart in an animal or plant

   The weevil uses its elongated rostrum to bore into seeds.

A learned borrowing from Latin rostrum, 'beak or ship's prow,' related to rodere ('to gnaw'). The Roman Rostra, public speaking platforms in the Forum, were named for the captured ships' prows that decorated them. English then generalized the platform sense.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images