DRONE


Meaning of DRONE in English

drone 1

— dronish , adj.

/drohn/ , n.

1. the male of the honeybee and other bees, stingless and making no honey. See illus. under bee .

2. a remote control mechanism, as a radio-controlled airplane or boat.

3. a person who lives on the labor of others; parasitic loafer.

4. a drudge.

[ bef. 1000; 1945-50 for def. 2; ME drone, drane, OE dran, dron; akin to OHG treno, G Drohne ]

drone 2

— droner , n. — droningly , adv.

/drohn/ , v. , droned, droning , n.

v.i.

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.

v.t.

4. to say in a dull, monotonous tone.

n.

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.

[ 1490-1500; see DRONE 1 and cf. ME droun to roar, Icel drynja to bellow, Goth drunjus noise ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .