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

Eventually, even the iconic microwave antennas became safety hazards and were removed. — David Szondy august 01, New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026

Commercial opportunities The telltale giant golf balls at Buckley Space Force Base, on the western edge of America’s high plains, are radar domes designed to protect the sensitive antennas inside. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2026

In each antenna, a complex series of molecules maintains their circadian clock , which, when combined with sunlight cues, gives them their sense of direction. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

Photos and video from the area showed flames and smoke plumes rising over the ground station’s antenna array, anchored by a 230-foot-diameter (70-meter) radio dish and a collection of smaller 112-foot (34-meter) antennas. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026

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

Rhymes for antenna

• duenna
• melena
• subpena
• bena
• bene
• gena
• henna
• kenna
• plena
• senna

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