an·ten·na

[an-ten-uh]
noun, plural an·ten·nas for 1, an·ten·nae [an-ten-ee] , for 2.
1.
a conductor by which electromagnetic waves are sent out or received, consisting commonly of a wire or set of wires; aerial.
2.
Zoology. one of the jointed, movable, sensory appendages occurring in pairs on the heads of insects and most other arthropods.
Origin:
1640–50; < Latin: a sailyard

Related forms
an·ten·nal, adjective
post·an·ten·nal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
antenna (ænˈtɛnə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , -nae, -nas
1.  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
2.  another name for aerial
 
[C17: from Latin: sail yard, of obscure origin]
 
an'tennal
 
—adj
 
an'tennary
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Antenna is always a great word to know.
So is porifera. Does it mean:
animal phylum comprised of sponges
phylum comprised of annelids
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

antenna
1640s, "feeler or horn of an insect," from L. antenna "sail yard," the long yard that sticks up on some sails, of unknown origin, perhaps from PIE base *temp- "to stretch, extend." In this sense, it is a loan-transl. of Gk. keraiai "horns" (of insects). Modern use in radio, etc., for "aerial wire" is
from 1902.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
antenna   (ān-těn'ə)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. 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.

  2. 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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
She had attached a bit of guitar string to the transmitter, to act as an antenna.
The plan is familiar: park an antenna high in the stratosphere and then relay signals to and from devices below.
The extra antenna allows smart phones to carry two signals over a single frequency.
Some of it bounces off the ground around the actual antenna.
Images for antenna
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