antenna
Americannoun
PLURAL
antennas, antennae-
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
- antennal adjective
- postantennal adjective
Etymology
Origin of antenna
1640–50; < Latin: a sailyard
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.
In the Anaheim Hills incidents, one of the vehicles was stolen by thieves accessing the key fob signal through an antenna.
From Los Angeles Times
They fell silent as an Israeli armored vehicle rumbled past, its antenna swinging above the berm blocking the street.
From Los Angeles Times
His path, fueled by bravado, ruthlessness, a keen political antenna and alleged theft, has left lingering suspicion about his allegiances.
From New York Times
Some dire imagery and sound reminiscent of that picture turns up here: radio antennas spinning as audio of S.O.S. messages play on the soundtrack, shots of overturned passenger boats.
From New York Times
That path, fueled by bravado, ruthlessness, a keen political antenna and alleged theft, has left lingering suspicion about his allegiances.
From New York Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
