rostellum

[ ro-stel-uhm ]

noun,plural ros·tel·la [ro-stel-uh]. /rɒˈstɛl ə/.
  1. Biology. any small, beaklike process.

  2. Botany. a beaklike modification of the stigma in many orchids.

  1. Zoology.

    • a projecting part of the scolex in certain tapeworms.

    • a part of the mouth in many insects, designed for sucking.

Origin of rostellum

1
1750–60; <New Latin; Latin: little beak, snout, diminutive of rōstrum snout (see rostrum); for formation, see castellum

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British Dictionary definitions for rostellum

rostellum

/ (rɒˈstɛləm) /


nounplural -la (-lə)
  1. biology a small beaklike process, such as the hooked projection from the top of the head in tapeworms or the outgrowth from the stigma of an orchid

Origin of rostellum

1
C18: from Latin: a little beak, from rōstrum a beak

Derived forms of rostellum

  • rostellate or rostellar, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012