Added 8 October 2026
feeler
/ˈfiːlə/ noun
In Latin: palpus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about feeler at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- One of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of e.g. insects and crustaceans; typically sensitive to touch and taste.
-
A tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others.
she rejected his advances
-
Sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ.
he had a special antenna for public relations
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)