Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Drone?

\Drone\, n. [OE. drane a dronebee, AS. dr[=a]n; akin to OS. dr[=a]n, OHG. treno, G. drohne, Dan. drone, cf. Gr. ? a kind of wasp, dial. Gr. ? drone. Prob. named fr. the droning sound. See {Drone}, v. i.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See {Honeybee}. All with united force combine to drive The lazy drones from the laborious hive. --Dryden. 2. One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard. By living as a drone,to be an unprofitable and unworthy member of so noble and learned a society. -- Burton. 3. 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. 4. A humming or deep murmuring sound. The monotonous drone of the wheel. --Longfellow. 5. (Mus.) A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.
\Drone\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Droned}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Droning}.] [Cf. (for sense 1) D. dreunen, G. dr["o]hnen, Icel. drynja to roar, drynr a roaring, Sw. dr["o]na to bellow, drone, Dan. dr["o]ne, Goth. drunjus sound, Gr. ? dirge, ? to cry aloud, Skr. dhran to sound. Cf. {Drone}, n.] 1. To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound. Where the beetle wheels his droning flight. --T. Gray. 2. To love in idleness; to do nothing. ``Race of droning kings.'' --Dryden.