slender-rostrate
|slen-der-ros-trate|
🇺🇸
/ˈslɛndər ˈrɑstreɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˈslɛndə ˈrɒstreɪt/
long, thin beak/snout
Etymology
'slender-rostrate' is a modern English compound formed from 'slender' + 'rostrate'; 'rostrate' ultimately comes from Latin 'rostratus', from 'rostrum' meaning 'beak' or 'snout'.
'rostrate' entered scientific English from Medieval/Scientific Latin 'rostratus' (past participle of 'rostrare'/'rostrare' derived from 'rostrum'), while 'slender' is from Middle English 'slender' (of Germanic/Scandinavian origin); the compound form is a modern descriptive formation used in biological taxonomy and descriptions.
Individually, 'rostrate' originally meant 'equipped with a beak' (from Latin 'rostrum'), and 'slender' meant 'thin or slight'; combined as 'slender-rostrate' the phrase now specifically conveys 'having a notably thin, elongated rostrum/snout' in scientific description.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having a slender rostrum; possessing a long, narrow snout or beak-like projection (used especially in zoological, entomological, and botanical descriptions).
The specimen is slender-rostrate, with a narrow, elongated snout adapted for probing crevices.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/06 10:10