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drone

noun \ ˈdrōn \

Definition of drone

1 : a stingless male bee (as of the honeybee) that has the role of mating with the queen and does not gather nectar or pollen
2 : one that lives on the labors of others : parasite
3 : an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control or onboard computers
4 a : drudge 1
b : drudge 2
  • one of many office drones

Origin and Etymology of drone

Middle English, from Old English drān; akin to Old High German treno drone, Greek thrēnos dirge

Other Insect Terms

entomology, gadfly, pismire, proboscis, vespine

2

drone

verb

Definition of drone

droned; droning
intransitive verb
1 a : to make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound
  • droning bees
  • The air conditioner droned.
b : to talk in a persistently dull or monotonous tone
  • droning on and on about his health
2 : to pass, proceed, or act in a dull, drowsy, or indifferent manner
  • The afternoon droned on.
transitive verb
1 : to utter or pronounce with a drone
2 : to pass or spend in dull or monotonous activity or in idleness
  • droning the years away
—

droner

noun
—

droningly

play \ˈdrō-niŋ-lē\ adverb

See drone defined for English-language learners

Examples of drone in a Sentence

  1. We could hear wasps droning in the garden.

  2. the sound of droning bees all around us

Origin and Etymology of drone

see 1drone

drone Synonyms

Synonyms

bumble, burr, buzz, hum, whir (also whirr), whish, whiz (or whizz), zip, zoom;

Related Words

chirr, churr;

thrum;

fizz, hiss, murmur, purr, rustle, sigh, sizzle, swish, whisper;

coo, curr;

wheeze, whistle, whoosh;

3

drone

noun

Definition of drone

1 : a deep sustained or monotonous sound : hum
  • the drone of the motor
2 music : an instrument or part of an instrument (such as one of the fixed-pitch pipes of a bagpipe) that sounds a continuous unvarying tone
3 music : pedal point

Origin and Etymology of drone

see 1drone

Phrases Related to DRONE

Related Phrases

DRONE Defined for English Language Learners

drone

verb

Definition of drone for English Language Learners

  • : to make a continuous low humming sound

DRONE Defined for Kids

1

drone

noun \ ˈdrōn \

Definition of drone for Students

: a male bee
2

drone

verb

Definition of drone for Students

droned; droning
: to make or to speak with a low dull tone or hum
  • The speaker droned on and on.
3

drone

noun

Definition of drone for Students

: a low dull tone or hum

Learn More about drone

  1. See words that rhyme with drone Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drone Spanish Central: Translation of drone Nglish: Translation of drone for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drone for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drone

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