Drone
[drəʊn] or [dron]
Definition
(noun.) stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen.
(noun.) a pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single continuous tone.
(noun.) an aircraft without a pilot that is operated by remote control.
(verb.) talk in a monotonous voice.
(verb.) make a monotonous low dull sound; 'The harmonium was droning on'.
Edited by Estelle--From WordNet
Definition
(v. i.) The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See Honeybee.
(v. i.) One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard.
(v. i.) That which gives out a grave or monotonous tone or dull sound; as: (a) A drum. [Obs.] Halliwell. (b) The part of the bagpipe containing the two lowest tubes, which always sound the key note and the fifth.
(v. i.) A humming or deep murmuring sound.
(v. i.) A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.
(n.) To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound.
(n.) To love in idleness; to do nothing.
Checked by Jessie
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. [1]. Male honey-bee.[2]. Idler, sluggard, lounger, idle fellow, lazy fellow.[3]. Humming, humming noise.
v. n. [1]. Lounge, dawdle, waste time in trifles, live in idleness.[2]. Make a dull, humming sound.
v. a. Read monotonously.
Checked by Claudia
Synonyms and Antonyms
[See BRAWL]
Editor: Maris
Definition
n. the male of the honey-bee: one who lives on the labour of others like the drone-bee: a lazy idle fellow.—adj. Dron′ish like a drone: lazy idle.—adv. Dron′ishly.—n. Dron′ishness.—adv. Dron′y.
v.i. to make a low humming sound.—n. the bass-pipe of a bagpipe.—n. Drone′-pipe a pipe producing a droning sound.
Edited by Augustus
Examples
- He must say he thought a drone the embodiment of a pleasanter and wiser idea. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- The drone said unaffectedly, You will excuse me; I really cannot attend to the shop! Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Pasionaria says 'Better to die on thy--' Joaqu韓 was saying to himself as the drone came nearer them. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- Lord Raymond was never born to be a drone in the hive, and to find content in our pastoral life. Mary Shelley. The Last Man.
- And yet the cottage was not deserted, for a low sound came to our ears--a kind of drone of misery and despair which was indescribably melancholy. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- He could still hear the receding drone. Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom The Bell Tolls.
- Falsehoods and illusions ascend to take their place; the prodigal goes back into the country of the Lotophagi or drones, and openly dwells there. Plato. The Republic.
- They are the most squeezable persons and yield the largest amount of honey to the drones. Plato. The Republic.
- I said, here are more drones, of every sort and from every land. Plato. The Republic.
- You will remember that in the oligarchy were found two classes--rogues and paupers, whom we compared to drones with and without stings. Plato. The Republic.
- Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. Charles Dickens. Bleak House.
- Their victims attempt to resist; they are driven mad by the stings of the drones, and so become downright oligarchs in self-defence. Plato. The Republic.
- And this is called the wealthy class, and the drones feed upon them. Plato. The Republic.
- For an hour he droned away upon his violin, endeavouring to soothe his own ruffled spirits. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- If I inherit, I shall have to be careful of my figure, she mused, while the lawyer droned on through a labyrinth of legacies. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- The droning sound swelled louder upon our ears until it became one long, deep wail of distress. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- I heard them droning out their death-psalms, little judging they were sung in respect for my soul by those who were thus famishing my body. Walter Scott. Ivanhoe.
- Amid the droning of the wind there had come the stamping of a horse's hoofs, and the long grind of a wheel as it rasped against the curb. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- He looked round at me, in his dry, droning way, and said: The Indians will want their umbrellas, Mr. Betteredge, to-night! Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone.
- He put a hand on either side of his head and rocked himself to and fro, droning to himself like a child whose grief has got beyond words. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
- It was droning like a harmonium with the flies and bluebottles, and the floor and walls were like a slaughter-house. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- I say, David, to the young this is a world for action, and not for moping and droning in. Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
Editor: Nolan