Antenna: meaning, definitions and examples

Commonly used in both everyday language and technical fields to refer to a device that receives or transmits radio waves.

• The TV antenna on the roof helps to get better reception.
• Insects have antennae they use to sense their environment.

Frequently used in British English for the same device as 'antenna,' and can also refer to something related to the air or flying.

• She adjusted the aerial to get a clearer picture.
• The aerial view of the cityscape was breathtaking.

Refers to a device that receives signals, especially in radio, television, or telecommunications. It can also mean a person who receives something.

• The radio receiver isn't picking up any stations.
• The receiver of the package signed the delivery form.

Used in a biological context to refer to sensory appendages on the heads of insects and some other arthropods.

• The butterfly's antenna helps it navigate and find food
• The ants use their antennae to communicate with each other

Generally used in an informal or metaphorical sense, often referring to preliminary or tentative efforts to gauge opinions or reactions, or the sensory organs of certain animals.

• She's putting out feelers to see if there's interest in her new project
• The snail extended its feelers as it moved along the leaf

Primarily used to refer to the long, stiff hairs around the mouths of animals such as cats, which help them sense their environment.

• The cat's whiskers twitched as it sensed the nearby mouse
• Whiskers help animals detect objects in the dark