1859: rostrum Jan 17, 2020

A rostrum can refer to either a stage for public speech, or in zoological terminology, a beak. This discrepancy, however, was not as odd in its original context. Not only are the two of the stiff protuberances, but actually referred to a part of the Forum of Rome, where it was decorated with the beaks of ships. This is why the word also originated as a plural. It is now used commonly in biology.

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