antler

noun

ant·​ler ˈant-lər 

: one of the paired deciduous solid bony processes that arise from the frontal bone on the head of an animal of the deer family

also : a branch of an antler

antlered

ˈant-lərd 

adjective

antlerless

ˈant-lər-ləs 

adjective

Examples of antler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yukibana is the buzzy heartbeat of the hotel, with its curved seating, walls of windows, and chandeliers made of deer antlers. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026

Carved into objects made of ivory, bone and antler, the markings often represented animals that were common in the area at the time, such as woolly mammoths, lions, bears and horses. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026

There are other theories as to why female caribou have antlers. —Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026

Readers who discover Joy Williams’s astonishing second novel in 2018 may be surprised to feel a primordial déjà vu; a tingling where their own antlers might have been, once upon a time. —Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aunteler, from Anglo-French antiler, from Vulgar Latin *anteoculare, from neuter of *anteocularis located before the eye, from Latin ante- + oculus eye — more at eye

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing antler

• royal antler

Kids Definition

antler

noun

ant·​ler ˈant-lər 

: the solid often branched horn of a deer or one of its close relatives that is cast off and grown anew each year

also : a branch of such horn

antlered

-lərd 

adjective

antlerless

-ləs 

adjective