rostrum
ros·trum/ˈɹɑstɹəm/noun
rostrum is spelled R-O-S-T-R-U-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables (ros·trum). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,368th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rostrum means “A dais, pulpit, or similar platform for a speaker, conductor, or other performer” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rostrum is rostra or rostrums.
How many letters and syllables are in rostrum?
| Letters | 7: R-O-S-T-R-U-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ros·trum |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 49,368th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rostrum?
Rostrum appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,368th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rostrum?
- UK /ˈɹɒstɹəm/
- US /ˈɹɑstɹəm/
- US /ˈɹɔs-/
Rostrum has 2 syllables, split ros·trum in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rostrum.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rostrum?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as rostrum from its last stressed vowel (/ɑstɹəm/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rostrum
- rostra plural
- rostrums plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rostrum mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A dais, pulpit, or similar platform for a speaker, conductor, or other performer.
- 2
A platform for a film or television camera.
- 3
The projecting prow of a rowed warship, such as a trireme.
- 4
The beak.
- 5
The beak-shaped projection on the head of insects such as weevils.
- 6
The snout of a dolphin.
- 7
The oral or nasal region of a human used for anatomical location (i.e. rostral).
- 8
Any beak-like extension.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rostrum in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | chaire , éperon, rostre |
| Spanish | púlpito , espolón |
| German | Rammsporn , Rostrum, Rüssel |
| Portuguese | rostro |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rostrum come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).