antenna
Americannoun
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antennas,
plural
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antennae
plural
-
a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received, consisting commonly of a wire or set of wires; aerial.
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Zoology. one of the jointed, movable, sensory appendages occurring in pairs on the heads of insects and most other arthropods.
noun
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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
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another name for aerial
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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.
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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.
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing antenna
Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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Buzzwords for National Honey Bee Day
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Most recently, in March, her BMW was stolen from outside her home using an antenna to amplify the signal from the key fob inside her house.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Traditional antenna systems can also require complicated deployment mechanisms, particularly when large structures must be folded for launch and extended after reaching space.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
This filament becomes the foundation of the antenna.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
However, its petal-like solar panels had failed to open fully, trapping the antenna and preventing Beagle 2 from communicating.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Liddy shouted, collapsing the antenna of his walkie-talkie.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
It is no bigger than a fingertip, but has comically large antennae - which Hughes likens to "big floppy ears".
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
This structure separates spiders and their relatives from insects, which instead have antennae at the front of their bodies.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2026
Using satellite images, shore-based antennae, data and other sources, Kpler aims to reconstruct the trajectory of a vessel that has "gone dark," he added.
From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 2026
But these locations also make it easy for thieves to approach and use an antennae to capture the signal from outside the door.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025
Then one of those long thin antennae slammed into me end-first.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Soldiers drenched T-shirts in ice water and draped them over antennas that were on the fritz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
A laser-generated antenna could offer a different approach, potentially allowing spacecraft to create and adjust antennas without carrying the same kinds of mechanical structures.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
Once a development receives planning consent, mobile operators are issued a notice-to-quit and must remove their antennas.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Some coral species with fast-growing branches are planted onto "coral trees" that look like old television antennas and are suspended in the water column, with floats to keep them upright.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
His soulful black eyes would gaze back from billboards, walls, storefront windows, from little flags mounted on the antennas of taxicabs.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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