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a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received, consisting commonly of a wire or set of wires; aerial.
zoology. one of the jointed, movable, sensory appendages occurring in pairs on the heads of insects and most other arthropods.
contemporary examples

molex specializes in little-noticed but vital devices like connectors, antennas, and switches.
get ready to support the kochs, liberal apple fans daniel gross september 9, 2013

says antennas are for civilian use only, to help russian tourists find malls with disney stores.
p.j. o’rourke on foreign policy and france, hold the swiss p. j. o’rourke january 16, 2014

historical examples

no flagpoles rose aloft, up which antennas wires could be hoisted in the guise of halyards.
the secret wireless lewis e. theiss

and, when we need them, the copper cables can be used as antennas.
anything you can do … gordon randall garrett

you must be very careful in packing those b-tterfly cases; the slightest jar might break wings and antennas, you know.
famous modern ghost stories various

the antennas of the s-xes do not always agree in the number of joints.
an introduction to entomology: vol. iii (of 4) william kirby

instantly exman lunged toward him, antennas sparking fiercely and wheels smoking.
tom swift and the visitor from planet x victor appleton

i got out my camera and took as many pictures as i could of the van and its antennas.
little brother cory doctorow

the antennules and pleural lobes must be lost, the antennas and trunk limbs modified by loss of exopodites.
the appendages, anatomy, and relationships of trilobites percy edward raymond

those old steel rails themselves act as antennas for the broadcaster, and the rat’s tail is the pickup antenna.
anything you can do … gordon randall garrett

noun
(pl) -nae (-naɪ). one of a pair of mobile appendages on the heads of insects, crustaceans, etc, that are often whiplike and respond to touch and taste but may be specialized for swimming or attachment
(pl) -nas another name for aerial (sense 7)
n.

nativized plural of antenna; see -ae.
n.

1640s, “feeler or horn of an insect,” from latin antenna “sail yard,” the long yard that sticks up on some sails, of unknown origin, perhaps from pie root -temp- “to stretch, extend.” in the etymological sense, it is a loan-translation of aristotle’s greek keraiai “horns” (of insects). modern use in radio, etc., for “aerial wire” is from 1902. adjectival forms are antennal (1834), antennary (1836), antennular (1858).
antenna
(ān-těn’ə)

one of a pair of long, slender, segmented appendages on the heads of insects, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans. most antennae are organs of touch, but some are sensitive to odors and other stimuli.

a metallic device for sending or receiving electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves. some antennas can send waves in or receive waves from all directions; others are designed to work only in a range of directions.