antenna
UK[ænˈten.ə]US[ænˈten.ə]
n
a long, thin sensory appendage on the head of insects, crustaceans, and some other arthropods.
n
a metal rod, wire, or other structure used to transmit or receive radio or television signals.
Etymology
the word 'antenna' is a direct borrowing from latin, where it originally meant a sail yard, the horizontal spar on a ship's mast. its application to zoology in the 17th century was a metaphorical extension, likening an insect's feeler to a ship's yardarm. the modern technological sense, for a transmitting or receiving aerial, emerged in the early 20th century, drawing a further analogy to the insect's sensory appendage. this etymological journey illustrates a classic path from a concrete, nautical object to a biological term, and finally to an abstract technological concept.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword from latin. it cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes within its current english spelling.
Examples
the beetle waved its antennae, sensing the air for chemical signals.
we need to adjust the television antenna to get a clearer picture.
the car's radio antenna was broken in the automatic car wash.