Drone Definition

drōn
droned, drones, droning
noun
drones
A male bee or ant which serves only in a reproductive capacity and does no work.
Webster's New World
An idle person who lives by the work of others; parasite; loafer.
Webster's New World
A person whose work is routine, monotonous, etc.; drudge.
Webster's New World
A pilotless airplane that is directed in flight by remote control.
Webster's New World
A continuous and monotonous humming or buzzing sound.
Webster's New World
verb
droned, drones, droning
To live in idleness; loaf.
Webster's New World
To make a continuous and monotonous humming or buzzing sound.
Webster's New World
To speak in a monotonous tone.
The lecturer droned on for hours.
American Heritage
To utter in a dull, monotonous tone.
Webster's New World
To talk on and on in a dull, monotonous way.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
other
Predator drone.
Wiktionary
Reaper drone.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Drone

Noun

Singular:
drone
Plural:
drones

Origin of Drone

  • From Middle English drounen (“to roar, bellow”), ultimately perhaps from Proto-Germanic *drunjaną (“to drone, roar, make a sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to roar, hum, drone”). Cognate with Scots drune (“to drone, moan, complain”), Dutch dreunen (“to drone, boom, thud”), Low German drönen (“to drone, buzz, hum”), German dröhnen (“to roar, boom, rumble”), Danish drøne (“to roar, boom, peel out”), Swedish dröna (“to low, bellow, roar”), Icelandic drynja (“to roar”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English drone, from Old English drān, drǣn (“male bee, drone”), from Proto-Germanic *drēniz, *drēnuz, *drenô (“an insect, drone”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrēn- (“bee, drone, hornet”). Cognate with Dutch drone (“male bee or wasp”), Low German drone (“drone”), German Drohne, dialectal German Dräne, Trehne, Trene (“drone”), Danish drone (“drone”), Swedish drönje, drönare (“drone”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From drone (from the bee's humming sound)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old English drān

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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