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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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 were made from fragments of red deer antler, although some were made from bone, including whale.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
Get Fido ready for his closeup and holiday selfies in this handsome buffalo plaid reindeer antler hat.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 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
Glancing around, she saw the club-like base of an antler.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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
Hazen, the impulsive younger brother, knows the location of an enormous stash of antlers deep in Yellowstone and is eager to plunder it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
The stag's antlers, now fully hardened and velvet‑free, regrow each spring, becoming more impressive with each year as new points called tines develop.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025
His fingers were clumsy with cold, and tying the antlers to his wrists was infuriatingly difficult.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
