antler
UK[ˈæntlə]US[ˈæntlər]
n
One of the two branched horns on the head of an adult male deer, which are shed and regrown each year.
Etymology
The word "antler" has a circuitous history tracing back to Late Latin. It derives from the Vulgar Latin phrase ante ocularis, meaning "before the eyes," which originally referred to the forward-projecting branches of a tree. This term was later applied metaphorically to the branching horns of a deer. The word passed into Old French as antoillier and subsequently into Anglo-Norman as auntillere, before being adopted into Middle English. The modern spelling and meaning stabilized by the 14th century, retaining the core concept of a branched, frontal projection, now specifically denoting the deciduous horn of a deer.
Analysis
The word is a simplex. It entered English as a single lexical unit from Anglo-Norman.
Examples
The stag raised its head, displaying a magnificent set of antlers.
Each year, male deer shed their antlers and grow a new pair.
We found a shed antler while hiking in the woods.