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
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 30 May 2025
Transmitting at the speed of light The radio antenna in Spain where the piece is being broadcast is about 115 feet across, and is operated by the ESA.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 26 May 2025
The antenna, which was set up while a new control tower was being built, has since been relocated to the Pentagon rooftop, the outlet reported.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025
Large antennas, including an even larger, 2,400-square-foot version to come, are key to CEO and founder Abel Avellan’s plan to win a new market: satellite internet beamed directly to your phone.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for antenna
Cite this Entry
“Antenna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antenna. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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antenna
noun
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