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drone2
Audio Help /droʊn/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[drohn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, droned, dron·ing, noun –verb (used without object) | 1. | to make a dull, continued, low, monotonous sound; hum; buzz. |
| 2. | to speak in a monotonous tone. |
| 3. | to proceed in a dull, monotonous manner (usually fol. by on): The meeting droned on for hours. |
–verb (used with object) | 4. | to say in a dull, monotonous tone. |
–noun | 5. | Music. | a. | a continuous low tone produced by the bass pipes or bass strings of musical instruments. |
| b. | the pipes (esp. of the bagpipe) or strings producing this tone. |
| c. | a bagpipe equipped with such pipes. |
|
| 6. | a monotonous low tone; humming or buzzing sound. |
| 7. | a person who speaks in a monotonous tone. |
[Origin:
1490–1500; see
drone1 and cf. ME
droun to roar, Icel
drynja to bellow, Goth
drunjus noise

]
—Related formsdroner, noun
dron·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
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American Heritage Dictionary -
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drone 2
Audio Help (drōn) Pronunciation Key
v.
droned, dron·ing, drones
v.
intr.
- To make a continuous low dull humming sound: "Somewhere an electric fan droned without end" (William Styron).
- To speak in a monotonous tone: The lecturer droned on for hours.
- To pass or act in a monotonous way.
v.
tr.
To utter in a monotonous low tone: "The mosquitoes droned their angry chant" (W. Somerset Maugham).
n.
- A continuous low humming or buzzing sound.
- Music
- Any of the pipes of a bagpipe that lack finger holes and produce a single tone.
- A long sustained tone.
- Any of various instruments that produce only a constant pitch.
[From drone1 (from the bee's humming sound).]
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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