/fee"leuhr/ , n.
1. a person or thing that feels.
2. a proposal, remark, hint, etc., designed to bring out the opinions or purposes of others: Interested in an accord, both labor and management were putting out feelers.
3. Zool. an organ of touch, as an antenna or a tentacle.
4. Also called feeler gauge . Engin. a gauge having several blades of known thickness, used for measuring clearances.
5. Naut. a device for indicating that the lead of a mechanical sounding device has come to the bottom.
[ 1520-30; FEEL + -ER 1 ]