Feeler Definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FEE'LER, n.
1. One who feels.
2. One of the palpi of insects. The feelers of insects are usually four or six, and situated near the mouth. They are filiform and resemble articulated, movable antennae. They are distinguished from antennae or horns, by being short, naked and placed near the mouth. They are used in searching for food.
This tern is also applied to the antennae or horns of insects.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of e.g. insects and crustaceans; typically sensitive to touch and taste [syn: antenna, feeler]
2: a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others; "she rejected his advances" [syn: overture, advance, approach, feeler]
3: sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ; "he had a special antenna for public relations" [syn: antenna, feeler]
4: slender tactile process on the jaws of a fish [syn: barbel, feeler]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1526 one that feels: as a. a tactile process (as a tentacle) of an animal b. something (as a proposal) ventured to ascertain the views of others

English Explanatory Dictionary

?fi:l?? n. & adj. --n. 1 a the capacity to feel; a sense of touch(lost all feeling in his arm). b a physical sensation. 2 a (often foll. by of)a particular emotional reaction (a feeling of despair). b (in pl.) emotionalsusceptibilities or sympathies (hurt my feelings; had strong feelingsabout it). 3 a particular sensitivity (had a feeling for literature). 4 aan opinion or notion, esp. a vague or irrational one (my feelings on thesubject; had a feeling she would be there). b vague awareness (had a feelingof safety). c sentiment (the general feeling was against it). 5 readiness tofeel sympathy or compassion. 6 a the general emotional response produced bya work of art, piece of music, etc. b emotional commitment or sensibility inartistic execution (played with feeling). --adj. 1 sensitive, sympathetic. 2showing emotion or sensitivity. øøfeelingless adj. feelingly adv.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an organ in certain animals for testing things by touch or for searching for food. 2 a tentative proposal or suggestion, esp. to elicit a response (put out feelers). 3 a person or thing that feels. Phrases and idioms: feeler gauge a gauge equipped with blades for measuring narrow gaps etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Feeler Feel"er, n. 1. One who, or that which, feels. 2. (Zo["o]l.) One of the sense organs or certain animals (as insects), which are used in testing objects by touch and in searching for food; an antenna; a palp. Insects . . . perpetually feeling and searching before them with their feelers or antenn[ae]. --Derham. 3. Anything, as a proposal, observation, etc., put forth or thrown out in order to ascertain the views of others; something tentative.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(feelers) 1. An insect's feelers are the two thin stalks on its head with which it touches and senses things around it. = antenna N-COUNT: usu pl 2. If you put out feelers, you make careful, quiet contacts with people in order to get information from them, or to find out what their reaction will be to a suggestion. When vacancies occur, the office puts out feelers to the universities. N-PLURAL

Moby Thesaurus

advance, antenna, approach, asking price, barb, barbel, barbule, barometer, bid, bone of contention, cat whisker, catechism, cross-interrogatory, cross-question, debating point, demand, foretaste, hint, inquiry, interrogation, interrogative, interrogatory, invitation, issue, kiteflying, leader, leading, leading question, moot point, offer, offering, overture, palp, palpus, pilot balloon, point at issue, point in question, preliminary approach, presentation, probe, problem, proffer, query, question, question at issue, question mark, quodlibet, random sample, sample, sensor, sound, sounder, straw vote, submission, suggestion, tactile cell, tactile corpuscle, tactile hair, tactile organ, tactile process, tactor, tentative approach, test, tester, topic, trial balloon, vexed question, vibrissa, weather vane, weathercock