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drone
1[ drohn ]
noun
- the male of the honeybee and other bees, stingless and making no honey.
- an uncrewed military aircraft or ship that can navigate autonomously, without human control or beyond the line of sight:
We picked up the GPS signal of a U.S. spy drone.
They used a radio-controlled drone to test the weapon in an isolated spot.
- (loosely) any uncrewed airborne device, especially a small one, that is guided remotely: used for industrial, commercial, and recreational purposes, such as photography and filming, delivery, mining, etc.:
The grocery company will test drones for home delivery and pickup.
- a drudge:
I don't want to be a drone who mindlessly does exactly what I'm told, but rather someone who asserts a little control in my work.
- a person who lives on the labor of others; parasitic loafer:
That lazy drone was asleep when he should have been weeding the garden.
drone
2[ drohn ]
verb (used without object)
- to speak in a monotonous tone.
- to proceed in a dull, monotonous manner (usually followed by on ):
The meeting droned on for hours.
verb (used with object)
- to say in a dull, monotonous tone.
noun
- Music.
- a continuous low tone produced by the bass pipes or bass strings of musical instruments.
- the pipes (especially of the bagpipe) or strings producing this tone.
- a bagpipe equipped with such pipes.
- a monotonous low tone; humming or buzzing sound.
- a person who speaks in a monotonous tone.
drone
1/ drəʊn /
verb
- intr to make a monotonous low dull sound; buzz or hum
- whenintr, often foll by on to utter (words) in a monotonous tone, esp to talk without stopping
noun
- a monotonous low dull sound
- music
- a sustained bass note or chord of unvarying pitch accompanying a melody
- ( as modifier )
a drone bass
- music one of the single-reed pipes in a set of bagpipes, used for accompanying the melody played on the chanter
- a person who speaks in a low monotonous tone
drone
2/ drəʊn /
noun
- a male bee in a colony of social bees, whose sole function is to mate with the queen
- a person who lives off the work of others
- a pilotless radio-controlled aircraft
drone
/ drōn /
- A male bee, especially a honeybee whose only function is to fertilize the queen. Drones have no stingers, do no work, and do not produce honey.
drone
- In military usage, a pilotless aircraft used for reconnaissance and, more recently, for launching aerial attacks.
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Derived Forms
- ˈdroning, adjective
- ˈdroningly, adverb
- ˈdronish, adjective
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Other Words From
- dron·ish adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of drone1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of drone1
Origin of drone2
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Example Sentences
The influential al Qaeda propagandist, who was born in New Mexico, died in a U.S. drone strike later that year.
Employees strap a device to their heads and power a helicopter drone with their minds.
But it takes more than just pilots to operate the drone fleet.
In other words, the Air Force is saying that its drone force has been stretched to its limits.
The result is that drone operators are leaving the Air Force in droves.
Drone: the largest tube of a bag-pipe, giving forth a dull heavy tone.
The melody or tune is played on one of the pipes furnished with holes for the purpose, while the other three give a drone, bass.
Let those who are fit for nothing else go and drone over A B C with ragged children, if they like.
Not a sound except the drone of a mountain honey-bee hanging over some blossom.
The buzzer which he had expected to roar in his ears was only a faint drone, and above it he could easily hear other sounds.
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