What does rostrum mean?
Word: Rostrum
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Rostrum means a small raised platform where a person stands to give a speech, lead an orchestra or collect a prize.
Synonyms: dais
How do you spell rostrum?
Syllables: ros - trum
Tricky part: The ending is um with a u. It is weak when spoken, so pupils often write om or am.
Watch out for: rostrom, rostram
Memory tip: Picture a drum roll as the winner walks up. Rostrum closes on the same um, never on om.
Rostrum in a sentence
Example 1: The principal adjusted the microphone on the rostrum before she began.
Example 2: Three swimmers waited behind the rostrum for their medals.
Example 3: Standing on the rostrum for the first time made Marco's voice shake a little.
Fun Fact
Rostrum is the Latin word for a beak. Speakers in ancient Rome stood on a platform decorated with the beak-like fronts of ships, and the name stayed with the platform.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
r_st_um
a) a, r
b) o, l
c) u, r
d) o, r
Show answer
d) o, r. Say it ros-trum: a short first vowel, then the tr blend.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The head girl climbed the sutrmro and thanked the sponsors of the science fair.
a) rooster
b) restrain
c) roster
d) rostrum
Show answer
d) rostrum. The jumble has a u and an m, and only one word has both.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word rostrum as used in the sentence:
The conductor stepped up to the rostrum and raised her baton.
a) podium
b) balcony
c) corridor
d) gallery
Show answer
a) podium. A podium is a small raised stand, just where a conductor works.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. microphone 2. lecturn 3. auditorium 4. rostrum
a) a small platform for a speaker
b) the part of a building where an audience sits
c) a sloping stand that holds a speaker's notes
d) a device that makes a voice louder
Show answer
c) a sloping stand that holds a speaker's notes. Lectern ends in ern, not urn.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. At a sports day, who is most likely to climb the rostrum?
a) the bus driver waiting outside
b) the winner of the relay race
c) a parent looking for a seat
d) the groundsman marking the lanes
Show answer
b) the winner of the relay race
2. An orchestra's conductor stands raised up mainly so that ____.
a) the music stands stay in a neat line
b) the audience can hear the violins first
c) every player can see the baton clearly
d) the stage lights stay out of the way
Show answer
c) every player can see the baton clearly
