antenna

American  

[an-ten-uh] / ænˈtɛn ə /

noun

antennas, plural antennae plural

1. a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received, consisting commonly of a wire or set of wires; aerial.

2. Zoology. one of the jointed, movable, sensory appendages occurring in pairs on the heads of insects and most other arthropods.

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antenna British  

/ ænˈtɛnə /

noun

1. one of a pair of mobile appendages on the heads of insects, crustaceans, etc, that are often whiplike and respond to touch and taste but may be specialized for swimming or attachment

2. another name for aerial

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antenna Scientific  

/ ăn-tĕn′ə /

1. One of a pair of long, slender, segmented appendages on the heads of insects, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans. Most antennae are organs of touch, but some are sensitive to odors and other stimuli.

2. A metallic device for sending or receiving electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves. Some antennas can send waves in or receive waves from all directions; others are designed to work only in a range of directions.

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Usage

Plural word for antenna The plural form of antenna can be either antennas or antennae, pronounced [ an-ten-ee ], depending on the meaning of the term. When used in the sense of "a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received," the correct plural form is antennas. When used to describe the sensory appendages of organisms in the field of zoology, the correct plural form is antennae. The plural form of several other singular words ending in -a are also formed in this way, as in camera/cameras, pajama/pajamas, and pizza/pizzas. Irregular nouns whose plurals are formed like antennae, such as larva/larvae and fauna/faunae, derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antennal
  adjective
• postantennal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• antennas
  plural
• antennae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of antenna

1640–50; < Latin: a sailyard

Explanation

An antenna is a feeler found on the head of a bug. You know, the gross, creepy, pointy things they wave around and use as feelers or sensors. An antenna is also a device that sends radio and television signals. The singular noun antenna is just one of the feelers on a bug’s head — a sensory wand the insect waves around to check out its surroundings. The plural of this antenna is antennae. (Those Greeks and their funny words!) The singular noun antenna is also the thing on top of your television or radio. The plural of this antenna is antennas.

Example Sentences

Previous detectors based on the same principle showed promising sensitivity, but they captured only a small portion of incoming radiation because they depended on individual antenna elements.

From Science Daily • May 31, 2026

Laser reception requires fewer relays and can be located at the data center, rather than relayed from a special antenna.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The simplest solution, naturally, would be to unplug altogether, ditching your smart TV for an old-fashioned antenna system and turning back to physical media players instead of streamers.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

And the system can switch from GPS to optical navigation, flying with the antenna cut off for up to 20 kilometres.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

He left his tom green shirt dangling from the antenna of Officer David Delinko’s patrol car, which was parked outside the emergency room.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• receiver
• wire