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 ]