feelers
Bug's sensory appendages
Feelers are sensory appendages on insects and crustaceans—antennae used to touch and explore the environment.
The figurative extension is common: to put out feelers is to make cautious, exploratory inquiries before committing to action.
She put out feelers about the job opening.
Someone's feelers, informally, are their feelings: Don't hurt his feelers.
Requests for information
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- sounding outPronouncing letter by letter
- testingExamining to evaluate
- gaugingMeasuring or estimating
trial balloon · overtures · advances · signals · hints · suggestions · exploratory · preliminary
Broadcast signal receiver
- whiskersFacial sensory hairs
- tentaclesFlexible grasping appendages
- palpsArthropod sensory appendages
- sensoryRelated to perception
receptors · arthropods · insects · crickets · locusts · vibrations · detect · pheromones
Sharing another's emotions
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- receptivityWillingness to accept ideas
responsiveness · discernment · insight · emotional · vulnerable · tenderness · delicacy · susceptibility
questions
Requests for information
- probingThoroughly investigating something
- sounding outPronouncing letter by letter
- testingExamining to evaluate
gauging · trial balloon · overtures · advances · signals · hints · suggestions · exploratory · preliminary · tentative
antenna
Broadcast signal receiver
sensory · receptors · arthropods · insects · crickets · locusts · vibrations · detect · pheromones · olfaction
empathy
Sharing another's emotions
- intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
receptivity · responsiveness · discernment · insight · emotional · vulnerable · tenderness · delicacy · susceptibility · impressionability
- feelersinsect antennae
- information gatheringinquire, query, poll, survey, probe
- diplomacyembassy, ambassador, ambassadors, treaty, treaties
feelersdeclaration
Formal public announcement
ultimatum · direct question · announcement · demand · commitment
- put out feelersCautiously seek preliminary reactions
- putting out feelersTentative preliminary inquiry
- feeler gaugeTool measuring small gaps