feeler
UK /ˈfiːlə/ · US /ˈfiːləɹ/ noun
Forms feelers
- noun (literally) Someone or something that feels. “Are you more of a feeler or more of a thinker?”
- noun (anatomy) An antenna or appendage used for feeling, especially on an insect.
- noun (figuratively) Something ventured to test another's feelings, opinion, or position. “I sent out some feelers but they didn't seem interested.”
- noun (Philippines) a presumptive person; someone who bases on gut feeling, such as assuming or imagining that something said or done, whether positive or negative, was for a person despite having no concrete confirmation but gut feeling, or someone who assumes one's affection is reciprocated, or indulges in one's own wishful thinking or flatters oneself
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “feeler”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details