rostral

[ ros-truhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a rostrum.

rostral

/ ˈrɒstrəl /

adjective

1. biology of or like a beak or snout
2. adorned with the prows of ships

   a rostral column

Other Words From

• rostral·ly adverb
• post·rostral adjective
• sub·rostral adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rostral¹

1700–10; < Late Latin rōstrālis, equivalent to Latin rōstr ( um ) rostrum + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

They analyzed the fossils’ rostral denticles, the spikes that jut from the sides of a sawfish’s snout to aid in foraging and self-defense.

From Scientific American

Rostral denticles look like teeth, but they’re actually specialized body scales.

From Scientific American

Although rostral denticles didn’t become teeth themselves—sawfish ancestors already had teeth—this discovery indicates that scales like the ones on a fish’s bodily surface have the capacity to evolve a toothlike internal structure, and they could have done so at least once before.

From Scientific American

The placebo effect increased activity in an area called the rostral ventromedial medulla, which relays pain information, and decreased activity in the periaqueductal gray, which helps the body suppress pain.

From Science Magazine

Peter Strick, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh, injected the virus into rat stomachs and discovered vagal pathways that lead to the rostral insula, a poorly understood region thought to process sensations from internal organs and regulate emotions.

From Science Magazine

More About Rostral

What does rostral mean?

Rostral is an adjective used to describe things that have or resemble a beak or snout.

More generally, rostral means involving a rostrum, which has several meanings. In biology, it refers to a beak or beaklike part. This sense of the word was extended to refer to the beaklike projection on the prow of a ship, especially one on an ancient Roman warship that was used for ramming enemy ships. The ancient Romans sometimes decorated columns with the rostrums of captured ships (or with representations of them), and the adjective rostral can be used to describe such columns (called rostral columns).

Rostrum perhaps most commonly refers to a kind of platform for public speaking. However, the word rostral is most often used in the context of anatomy, especially of animals.

Example: This species is known for the rostral projection on its head.

Where does rostral come from?

The first records of the word rostral in English come from around 1700. It ultimately comes from the Latin rōstrum, meaning “snout,” “bill,” “beak of a bird,” or “ship’s prow” (when used in its plural form, rōstra, it referred to a speaker’s platform, a reference to the fact that this platform in the Roman forum was decorated with the prows of captured ships).

Though rostral can be used to describe many different things, it typically involves things that project outwards from the front of something, like a beak or snout projects out from an animal’s face. Though the word rostral is usually associated with animal anatomy, it is used in human anatomy as well, such as in relation to parts of the spine.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to rostral?

• rostrally (adverb)
• postrostral (adjective)
• subrostral (adjective) 

What are some words that share a root or word element with rostral? 

 

• rostrum
• rostrate
• rostrocarinate

What are some words that often get used in discussing rostral?

• column
• anatomy
• beak
• snout
• prow
• ram
• ship
• platform
• stage

How is rostral used in real life?

Rostral is often used in the context of animal anatomy.

#FishFriday
Sawfish are named after their long rostrum or ‘saw’ on the front of their head, which is lined with a series of rostral teeth.https://t.co/IqMe8mTCOi

— BBC Wildlife (@WildlifeMag) November 1, 2019

Exhibit of the Day: Psittacosaurus from the Hall of Ornithischian Dinos! It lived ~100 mil yrs ago & despite its lack of horns, it was a member of the same group as Triceratops! Psittacosaurus was named for its rostral bone, which formed the tip of its upper beak. #MuseumFromHome pic.twitter.com/ZmPJEu2dH4

— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) May 20, 2020

Oscillatory neuronal interactions between the basolateral #amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate gyrus of the medial prefrontal cortex (#mPFC) while monkeys perform a social decision-making task https://t.co/O7ROsDHssa pic.twitter.com/Xg5tI69wAE

— Nature Neuroscience (@NatureNeuro) February 26, 2020

 

 

Try using rostral!

True or False? 

Rostral can be used to describe an architectural column that’s decorated with sculptures of the prows of ships.