antenna

noun

an·​ten·​na an-ˈte-nə 

plural antennae an-ˈte-(ˌ)nē  or antennas

1

plural antennae : one of a pair of slender, movable, segmented sensory organs on the head of insects, myriapods, and crustaceans see insect illustration

2

: a usually metallic device (such as a rod or wire) for radiating or receiving radio waves

a TV antenna

3

antennae plural : a special sensitivity or receptiveness

… his political antennae proved to be shrewder than ever.

—Erich Segal

antennal

an-ˈte-nᵊl 

adjective

Did you know?

The Latin word antenna meant “sail yard,” which is the long spar that supports and spreads the sail on a sailing vessel. The Greek word for a sail yard was keraia, but that was only one meaning of this word. The primary meaning was “horn.” The philosopher Aristotle used keraiai to describe the feelers of insects, probably because of their resemblance to the horns of some larger animals. In a Latin translation of Aristotle’s work made during the Renaissance, the word antennae was used for Greek keraiai. In English we still use antennae for insects’ feelers. And now we also use antenna for the metal rods that pick up radio waves and seem to “feel the air” like the antennae of an insect.

Examples of antenna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Astronomers now suspect a good many of space rocks may have lunar origins as well. NASA plans to observe 2024 PT5 via radar antenna at its next flyby in January, tracking it for a week using the Goldstone solar system radar antenna in California’s Mojave Desert, part of the Deep Space Network. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 25 Nov. 2024

The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. —Bychris Morris, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2024

That’s why broadcast is free and still accessible with an antenna. —Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2024

Beamforming is used in advanced communication systems, including 5G infrastructure, and is now being adapted for GPS applications. GPS Firewalls Installing GPS firewalls between the receiver and the external antenna can help filter out false signals. —Markus Lutz, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin, sail yard

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing antenna

• community antenna television
• whip antenna

Kids Definition

antenna

noun

an·​ten·​na an-ˈten-ə 

plural antennae -ˈten-(ˌ)ē  or antennas

1

plural usually antennae : one of a pair of slender movable organs of sensation on the head of an arthropod (as an insect or a crab) that are made up of segments

2

plural usually antennas : a device (as a rod or wire) for sending or receiving radio waves