or antennas
Erich Segal
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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
PCMAG, 14 June 2024
The antennas then began connecting Starlink satellites to villagers’ phones.
—Jack Nicas Victor Moriyama, New York Times, 2 June 2024
Our bodies are antennas that are right next to each other on the web of infinite consciousness.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
The purpose of these Advanced Orion satellites, each with mesh antennas that unfurl to a diameter of up to 330 feet (100 meters), is to listen in on communications and radio transmissions from US adversaries, and perhaps allies.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 9 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for antenna 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antenna.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Antenna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antenna. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
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antenna
noun
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