antler

American  

[ant-ler] / ˈænt lər /

noun

antlers plural

1. one of the solid deciduous horns, usually branched, of an animal of the deer family.

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antler British  

/ ˈæntlə /

noun

1. one of a pair of bony outgrowths on the heads of male deer and some related species of either sex. The antlers are shed each year and those of some species grow more branches as the animal ages

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antlerless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• antlers
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

Closed in December, the new fund will enable Antler to double down on its thick-and-fast approach of spreading bets across the startup landscape, Grimeland said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Nickerson: Oh, sorry, you mean Antler Queen in the pilot, who was sitting there.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025

Vic Banham, who runs the TikTok marketing agency Antler Social, says some of this may not even count as advertising.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2024

"The category of plant-based foods, I would say, has had a pretty uniform ethics or party line," says Jason Moran, creative director on the marketing team at Red Antler, a branding agency.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2024

I assumed that the A meant Antler, and a thrill ran through me.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler