feel·er

[fee-ler]
noun
1.
a person or thing that feels.
2.
a proposal, remark, hint, etc., designed to bring out the opinions or purposes of others: Interested in an accord, both labor and management were putting out feelers.
3.
Zoology. an organ of touch, as an antenna or a tentacle.
4.
Also called feeler gauge. Engineering. a gauge having several blades of known thickness, used for measuring clearances.
5.
Nautical. a device for indicating that the lead of a mechanical sounding device has come to the bottom.

Origin:
1520–30; feel + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Feeler is always a great word to know.
So is chordata. Does it mean:
cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates with gills, often have fins and elongated body covered with scales
phylum comprised of chordates
Collins
World English Dictionary
feeler (ˈfiːlə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a person or thing that feels
2.  an organ in certain animals, such as an antenna or tentacle, that is sensitive to touch
3.  a remark designed to probe the reactions or intentions of other people

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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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

feeler
1520s, one who feels; of animal organs, 1660s; agent noun from feel. Transferred sense of proposal put forth to observe the reaction it gets is from 1830. Related: Feelers.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
feeler   (fē'lər)  Pronunciation Key 
A slender body part used for touching or sensing. The antennae of insects and the barbels of catfish are feelers.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

feeler

see put out feelers.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
It is a feeler and also an instrument by which objects are smelled.
Using the steel square and feeler gage, measure the flatness of the tamper foot.
The birds bumped their heads nearly three times more often than birds with the
  use of their feeler feathers.
Gear tooth thickness was measured using a gear tooth caliper and backlash was
  measured using feeler gages on all open gearing.
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