antler
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of antler
1350–1400; Middle English aunteler < Middle French antoillier < Vulgar Latin *anteoculārem ( rāmum ), accusative singular of *anteoculāris ( rāmus ) anteocular (branch of a stag's horn). See ante-, ocular
Explanation
An antler is one of a pair of horns that belong to most members of the deer family. An antler is usually curved and has branches. Antlers come in pairs: there are two antlers coming out of a deer’s head. Antlers are branched like a tree limb, and some are very long and large. The elk is an animal with impressive antlers. Antlers look intimidating and can be used as a weapon by the deer when head-butting. Only the males have antlers in most species.
Vocabulary lists containing antler
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: ante, anti
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Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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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:
The boss would have been mounted on to a thick rim of white organic material such as bone, ivory or antler, which has long since vanished.
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2025
The spree continued in August and September of 2021, including the shooting of a trophy-size bull elk with seven antler points on each side of its head on Sept. 30.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
She has watched the woman she thought was her psychiatrist transform into the antler queen in front of her eyes.
From New York Times ● May 12, 2023
In the burial sites of the very wealthy, for example, archaeologists have found carved tools made of antler and other objects made from shells.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
Then she had loosened the earth and weeded with Mama’s big moose antler hoe and her own smaller hoe carved from a crooked tree branch.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
“Science class starts… NOW!” the company posted on Facebook, noting that a moose has 6-foot antlers “for defending territory,” while a beaver has a flat tail “for slapping water.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The Buck Moon, which was named after the time male deer sprout new antlers, will rise on 29 July.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The space is dimly lit and always packed, with wood-paneled walls, mounted antlers, and crisp white tablecloths setting the tone.
From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026
One day the Scot suggests a way the brothers might supplement their income: “I could sell as many elk antlers as I could possibly get my hands on. At a good price too.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
The moose, when shot, unfortunately lacked the imposing horns that Jefferson had specified, but Sullivan thoughtfully included a rack of antlers from an elk or stag with the suggestion that these be attached instead.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
