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:
Boxgrove has been extensively excavated, and researchers have uncovered many tools made from flint, bone and antler there.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Most were made from fragments of red deer antler, although some were made from bone, including whale.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
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
There, archaeologists have recovered projectile points, modified bone and antler, and textiles.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
For the door handle, he screwed on a deer antler he found near the stream.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
Rising at 15:36 BST on 29 July, it is named after the time of year when male deer begin to grow their new antlers.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
According to reports, the mother and son were in the woods collecting antlers during the stag shedding season.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 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
It’s a playful take on British decor with Victorian-era Tartanware boxes and pre-World War I Black Forest antlers on carved wood plaques that were once used as hunting trophies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
By now Jackson had eaten so much moose meat he was surprised he didn’t have antlers.
From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis
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.
