A parabolic reflector that collects and focuses radio waves from space onto a receiver at its focal point. The curved shape concentrates weak cosmic radio signals, allowing radio telescopes to detect faint emissions from distant celestial objects.
Compound of 'dish' from Old English 'disc' (plate, shallow vessel) describing the shape, and 'antenna' from Latin meaning 'sail yard' or 'feeler.' Originally a nautical term for ship rigging, 'antenna' was adopted for radio technology in the early 1900s due to resemblance to insect antennae that sense their environment.
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