antenna

[ an-ten-uh ]

See synonyms for: antenna antennae on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural an·ten·nas for 1, an·ten·nae

[an-ten-ee] /ænˈtɛn i/ for 2.

a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received, consisting commonly of a wire or set of wires; aerial.
Zoology. one of the jointed, movable, sensory appendages occurring in pairs on the heads of insects and most other arthropods.

Origin of antenna

1640–50; <Latin: a sailyard

Other words from antenna

an·ten·nal, adjective
post·an·ten·nal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antenna in a sentence

At the end of the first dinner scene (where I said my most infamous line), he uses chopsticks like antennae to make me smile.
Mara Wilson Remembers Robin Williams: We're All His Goddamn Kids | Mara Wilson | August 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
There are several long fins extending from the top of its head like antennae, and they may have lures at the end.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something? | Kevin Bailey | October 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But out of the long grass shot a warthog, her tail antennae-straight, with piglets scuttling behind.
Walking With Wildebeests: Exploring the Serengeti on Foot | Joanna Eede | July 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Eat-a-Bug Cookbook recommends stripping off the antennae, limbs, and wings before baking them in the oven until crisp.
Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Locusts, Ants Among the Tastiest Insects | Nina Strochlic | May 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
He has great political antennae and will help anticipate and avoid disasters like Massachusetts.
Bringing Back David Plouffe Will Totally Work | Mark McKinnon | January 24, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST

The antennae are ciliated, whitish above, and brownish beneath.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
The antennae of this beautiful species are black, very slender at the base, and thick towards the extremity.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2] | Phillip Parker King
She quietly polishes her wings and curls her antennae by pulling them while standing on them with her fore-tarsi.
More Hunting Wasps | J. Henri Fabre
The antennae quiver; the wings, raised above the back, continually beat one against the other.
More Hunting Wasps | J. Henri Fabre
She returns, puts out her head and, seizing her prey by the antennae, warehouses it by dragging backwards.
More Hunting Wasps | J. Henri Fabre

British Dictionary definitions for antenna

antenna

/ (ænˈtɛnə) /

noun

plural -nae (-naɪ) 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
plural -nas another name for aerial (def. 7)

Origin of antenna

C17: from Latin: sail yard, of obscure origin

Derived forms of antenna

antennal or antennary, 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

Scientific definitions for antenna

antenna

[ ăn-tĕn′ə ]

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.
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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