Meaning & use

rabbit ears

noun·Everyday

A television antenna with two adjustable metal rods, or informally, the finger gesture made behind someone's head in a photo.

See it in a sentence

Before cable, most families relied on rabbit ears to pick up local channels.

He snuck rabbit ears behind his sister's head just as the camera clicked.

A note on using this word

The term comes from the V-shaped rods' resemblance to a rabbit's ears; it's largely a nostalgic expression today.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rabbit ears”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.