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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.
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Medieval Latin, from Latin, sail yard
1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Antenna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antenna. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
antenna
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on antenna
Nglish: Translation of antenna for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of antenna for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about antenna
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