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rostrum

rost·rum

UK/ˈɹɒstɹəm/ US/ˈɹɑstɹəm/ uncommon

noun

1.

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

Synonyms
2.

beaklike projection of the anterior part of the head of certain insects such as e.g. weevils

Synonyms

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin rōstrum (“beak, snout”), from rōd(ō) (“gnaw”) + -trum, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₃d- + *-trom. The pulpit sense is a back-formation from the name of the Roman Rōstra, the platforms in the Forum where politicians made speeches. The Rōstra were decorated with (and named for) the beaks (prows) of ships from naval victories.

Phrases

  • winners' rostrum

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.