antennate
|an-ten-nate|
/ænˈtɛn.eɪt/
having antennae
Etymology
'antennate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'antenna', where 'antenna' originally meant a 'sail-yard' (a spar for a sail) and was later applied to the feeler-like appendages of animals; the adjective is formed with the suffix '-ate' (from Latin '-atus') meaning 'provided with'.
'antennate' developed from New Latin/modern scientific Latin 'antennatus' (meaning 'having antennae') and then entered English scientific usage as 'antennate' in the 18th–19th centuries.
Initially linked to the Latin sense of a 'sail-yard' and then to the notion of a projecting spar or feeler, its meaning evolved into the biological sense 'having antennae' used in modern zoological and botanical description.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having antennae (used of insects and other arthropods).
Many beetle species are antennate, using their antennae to detect chemical cues.
Synonyms
Adjective 2
having antenna-like or feeler-like appendages or processes (used in botanical or anatomical descriptions).
The flower exhibited antennate appendages near the base of the petals.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 11:21