feeler

plural feelers

1. literallySomeone or something that feels.

   Are you more of a feeler or more of a thinker?

2. anatomyAn antenna or appendage used for feeling, especially on an insect.

   Her mate has tried to avoid this destiny. The male European mantis “uses his feelers to calm her down”, the BBC narrates.

   2021 May 27, Helen Sullivan, “A praying mantis: she bites into her mate’s head like an apple and cleans her face ‘like a cat’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2023

3. figurativelySomething ventured to test another's feelings, opinion, or position.

   I sent out some feelers but they didn't seem interested.

   3 more examples

   This survey is designed to get a feeler about how the citizens feel about the proposed new highway.

   In 1905, the Russo-Japanese war fought itself to a standstill, and with the destruction of Rozhiestvensky's fleet at Tsushima, the Japanese, for financial reasons, had to put out feelers for peace.

   1952 July, the late H. Carew, “By Special Train in the Far East”, in Railway Magazine, page 488

   Mr. Dayan's peace feeler would he more attractive to Cairo if it were accompanied by suggestions from Jerusalem, public private, for safeguarding Israeli security interests there without sacrificing Cairo's claim to ultimate sovereignty.

   1972 August 30, “Dayan's Peace Feeler”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Mar 2018

4. Philippinesfigurativelya 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

   All I can say to you is be cool, stick together and do your best to keep your 'affairs' away from the administration's "feelers" because there's no justice in the justice business.

   1988 February 21, Jery Ragland, “A Hell Of An Appeal”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 31, page 5