Link Centre Dictionary

feeler

fee·ler

UK/ˈfiːlə/ US/ˈfiːləɹ/ uncommon

noun

1.

one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of e.g. insects and crustaceans; typically sensitive to touch and taste

Synonyms
2.

a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others

  • “she rejected his advances”
Synonyms
3.

sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ

  • “he had a special antenna for public relations”
Synonyms
4.

slender tactile process on the jaws of a fish

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English feler, feeler, felar, equivalent to feel + -er. Animal organ definition from 1660s. Transferred sense of "proposal put forth to observe the reaction it gets" is from 1830.

Phrases

  • feeler gauge
  • put out feelers

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.