触 角(しょっかく)

しょっかく

noun

antenna; feeler (of an insect)

See also: 触覚(しょっかく) (homophone: sense of touch)

1. antenna; feeler

One of the pair of long, thin sense organs on the head of an insect, crustacean, or snail, used to feel, smell, and sense its surroundings.

蟻(あり)の触角(しょっかく)が動(うご)いている。

The ant's antennae are moving.

カタツムリは触角(しょっかく)の先(さき)に目(め)がある。

Snails have eyes at the tips of their feelers.

虫(むし)は触角(しょっかく)で匂(にお)いを感(かん)じ取(と)って、食(た)べ物(もの)を探(さが)す。

Insects pick up smells with their antennae and use them to find food.

Common collocations

触角(しょっかく)を動(うご)かす: to move its antennae
触角(しょっかく)で探(さぐ)る: to feel about with its antennae
長(なが)い触角(しょっかく): long antennae

Watch out

触覚(しょっかく) (the sense of touch) has the same reading. Writing 触覚(しょっかく) for an insect's antennae is a common slip; the antennae are 触角(しょっかく) (角(かく), "horn").

general

Added 2026.9.30 11:05 · Revised 2026.9.30 11:07

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