Rostrum

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɒstɹəm/

Definitions

1. A raised platform used by a speaker to address an audience ; the beak or snout of certain animals, especially insects and birds
2. An elevated stage or podium where speeches are delivered ; the pointed front part of an animal's head used for feeding or defense
3. A structure that provides a place for public address or performance ; a projecting mouthpart or facial feature of some creatures

Etymology: The Roman Forum once had a row of ship beaks bolted to its speaking platform. In 338 BC, after a naval victory over the Antiates, Rome's officials mounted the prows of captured enemy warships on the public platform where orators addressed the crowd, and the platform became known as the Rōstra, "beaks." Politicians who stood there to speak were literally standing on the spoils of war. The Latin word itself meant "beak" or "snout," and came from the verb "rōdere," "to gnaw," with a suffix marking an instrument or tool. Animal beaks and ship prows shared the same name, which is why the same word could describe both a bird's mouth and the sharp bow of a galley. English borrowed the word directly from Latin, and its sense of a raised platform for speakers is a back-formation from the name of the Roman platform. The usage is a learned one, so it appears in formal and scholarly writing rather than everyday speech.

Synonyms: platform, stage