Branched, bony structures that grow from the heads of male deer, elk, moose, and related animals. Unlike horns, antlers are shed and regrown annually and are used primarily for fighting during mating season.
From Old French 'antoillier' meaning the lowest branch of a deer's horn, derived from Latin 'ante-ocularis' meaning 'before the eyes.' The word evolved to refer to the entire branched structure by the 1300s.
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