drone
Use Drone in a sentence
noun
1.
the male of the honeybee and other bees, stingless and making no honey. See illus. under bee.
2.
3.
a person who lives on the labor of others; parasitic loafer.
4.
a drudge.
Origin:
before 1000; 1945–50 for def 2a; Middle English drone, drane, Old English dran, dron; akin to Old High German treno, German Drohne
before 1000; 1945–50 for def 2a; Middle English drone, drane, Old English dran, dron; akin to Old High German treno, German Drohne
Related forms
dron·ish, adjective
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Drone
is a GRE word you need to know.
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| reproach in a sarcastic, insulting, or jeering manner |
| form by heating and hammering |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
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 followed 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 (especially 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 compare Middle English droun to roar, Icelandic drynja to bellow, Gothic drunjus noise
1490–1500; see drone1 and compare Middle English droun to roar, Icelandic drynja to bellow, Gothic drunjus noise
Related forms
dron·er, noun
dron·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To drone
Collins
World English Dictionary
drone1 (drəʊn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a male bee in a colony of social bees, whose sole function is to mate with the queen |
| 2. | (Brit) a person who lives off the work of others |
| 3. | a pilotless radio-controlled aircraft |
| [Old English drān; related to Old High German treno drone, Gothic drunjus noise, Greek tenthrēnē wasp; see | |
| 'dronish1 | |
| —adj | |
| drone2 (drəʊn) | |
| —vb (when intr, | |
| 1. | (intr) to make a monotonous low dull sound; buzz or hum |
| 2. | to utter (words) in a monotonous tone, esp to talk without stopping |
| —n | |
| 3. | a monotonous low dull sound |
| 4. | music |
| a. a sustained bass note or chord of unvarying pitch accompanying a melody | |
| b. (as modifier): a drone bass | |
| 5. | music one of the single-reed pipes in a set of bagpipes, used for accompanying the melody played on the chanter |
| 6. | a person who speaks in a low monotonous tone |
| [C16: related to | |
| 'droning2 | |
| —adj | |
| 'droningly2 | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
drone
O.E. dran, dræn "male honeybee," from P.Gmc. *dran-, probably imitative; given a figurative sense of "idler, lazy worker" (male bees make no honey) 1520s. Meaning "pilotless aircraft" is from 1946. The verb in the sound sense is c.1500, apparently imitative. Related: Droned; droning.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| drone (drōn) Pronunciation Key
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. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
drone definition
In military usage, a pilotless aircraft used for reconnaissance and, more recently, for launching aerial attacks.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
drone
n. Ignorant sales or customer service personnel in computer or electronics superstores. Characterized by a lack of even superficial knowledge about the products they sell, yet possessed of the conviction that they are more competent than their hacker customers. Usage: "That video board probably sucks, it was recommended by a drone at Fry's" In the year 2000, their natural habitats include Fry's Electronics, Best Buy, and CompUSA.
Jargon
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Example sentences
She looked back at the television, where Peter was continuing to drone on, but she didn't hear him.
In this way, the bees loomed over our afternoons, their drone a constant reminder of tragedy.
Lifeless and lumpish as the bagpipe's drowsy drone.
Most people, when they hear of an unmanned drone, probably picture a model airplane.
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