feeler

American  

[fee-ler] / ˈfi lər /

noun

1. a person or thing that feels.

2. a proposal, remark, hint, etc., designed to bring out the opinions or purposes of others.

   Interested in an accord, both labor and management were putting out feelers.

3. Zoology. an organ of touch, as an antenna or a tentacle.

4. Also called feeler gauge.  Engineering. a gauge having several blades of known thickness, used for measuring clearances.

5. Nautical. a device for indicating that the lead of a mechanical sounding device has come to the bottom.

---

feeler British  

/ ˈfiːlə /

noun

1. a person or thing that feels

2. an organ in certain animals, such as an antenna or tentacle, that is sensitive to touch

3. a remark designed to probe the reactions or intentions of other people

---

feeler Scientific  

/ fē′lər /

1. A slender body part used for touching or sensing. The antennae of insects and the barbels of catfish are feelers.

---

feeler Idioms  

1. see put out feelers.

---

Etymology

Origin of feeler

First recorded in 1520–30; feel + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Elephants are born with about 1,000 of these bristles, lead author Andrew Schulz told AFP, many of them anchored in the trunk's wrinkles to act like feelers and help the animals assess their surroundings.

From Barron's

Upside-down cockroaches dotted the floor here and there, one still moving its endless feelers, and a clock on the wall read ten past midnight.

From Literature

It put out feelers, including to Aberdeen University's zoology department and museums.

From BBC

“Putting out a feeler in a noncrisis situation to see what kind of reactions you get is a really valuable thing,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finally, she’s put out feelers to those with private planes, even offering to provide a free solo concert in return for a flight to Wichita.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• overture