'antennae-bearing' originates from Modern English, combining the plural noun 'antennae' (plural of 'antenna') and the present-participle 'bearing' (from 'bear', meaning 'to carry').

'antennae' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'antenna' meaning 'yardarm' or 'sail yard'; the biological sense 'sensory appendage' developed later in scientific usage and entered English (plural 'antennae') and was combined with 'bearing' (from Old English 'beran' → Middle English 'beren' → present participle 'bearing') to form compounds like 'antennae-bearing'.

Initially, 'antenna' meant 'yardarm' in Latin, but over time it evolved into the biological sense 'sensory appendage'; 'antennae-bearing' therefore came to mean 'carrying or having antennae' in modern usage.