narrow-rostrate
|nar-row-ros-trate|
🇺🇸
/ˈnæroʊ-ˈrɑːstreɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˈnærəʊ-ˈrɒstreɪt/
having a narrow beak-like snout
Etymology
'narrow-rostrate' is a compound formed from English 'narrow' and the adjective 'rostrate' (from Latin 'rostratus', from 'rostrum' meaning 'beak').
'narrow' traces to Old English 'nearu' meaning 'narrow, confined', while 'rostrate' entered English via Latin/Neo-Latin (from Latin 'rostratus', past participle of 'rostrare') and has been used in scientific descriptions since early modern English.
Individually, 'narrow' has long meant 'not wide' and 'rostrate' meant 'beak-shaped'; combined as a compound the meaning narrowed to describe organisms with a specifically narrow, beak-like snout or projection.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a narrow rostrum or beak-like snout; possessing a slender, beak-shaped projection (used especially in zoological descriptions).
The narrow-rostrate specimen was easily recognized by its thin, protruding snout.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/06 09:55