antennationn.
/ˌantᵻˈneɪʃn/, U.S. /ˌæntəˈneɪʃən/ Entomology.
The action of an insect using its antennae to touch something, esp. (the antennae of) another insect; an instance of this.Antennation is used as a means of communication between individuals.
ΚΠ
1952 R. S. Howard Biol. Grain Beetle, Tenebrio Molitor (Ph.D. diss., Northwestern Univ.) 59 The following are the types of reactions that characterize the subordinates... 3. Gentle antennation or palpation (or both) of the dominant.
1990 Great Lakes Entomologist 23 162 Hunting [sc. by a wasp] on the ground surface involved extensive wing flicking, antennation of the substrate, and periodic flights to new hunting areas.
2004 Jrnl. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 77 390 Two females exhibited only mutual antennation, i.e., they slowly approached each other, vibrating their antennae finely and alternately, and touched the partner's antennae.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2020; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1952