An ornamental device or structure at the terminal end of a ship's prow; a carved or decorated beak-like projection on ancient vessels.
From Greek 'akron' (tip) and 'stole' (equipment), literally describing the equipped or ornamental tip of a ship, related to the ram-like structures on warships.
Roman and Greek acrostolia were status symbols—the more ornate and fearsome your ship's prow decoration, the more powerful your navy appeared, making these both military tools and psychological weapons.
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