or antennas
Erich Segal
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
Paul Vanderbroeck, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
Its small antenna and carrying strap sat above the earth.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
The simplest option is to use a digital antenna to watch your local NBC station.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Another suggestion was a photograph of a field of antennas that had appeared in a United Colors of Benetton ad.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for antenna
Cite this Entry
“Antenna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antenna. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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antenna
noun
or antennas
