drone

[ drohn ]

/ droʊn /

verb (used without object), droned, dron·ing.

to make a dull, continued, low, monotonous sound; hum; buzz.

to speak in a monotonous tone.

to proceed in a dull, monotonous manner (usually followed by on): The meeting droned on for hours.

verb (used with object), droned, dron·ing.

to say in a dull, monotonous tone.

noun

Music.

a continuous low tone produced by the bass pipes or bass strings of musical instruments.
the pipes (especially of the bagpipe) or strings producing this tone.
a bagpipe equipped with such pipes.

a monotonous low tone; humming or buzzing sound.

a person who speaks in a monotonous tone.

Nearby words

dromomania, dromond, dromos, dromotropic, dronabinol, drone, drone aircraft, drongo, dronklap, dronkverdriet, droob

Origin of drone

1490–1500; see drone¹ and compare Middle English droun to roar, Icelandic drynja to bellow, Gothic drunjus noise

Related forms

dron·er, noundron·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for droner (1 of 2)

drone

/ (drəʊn) /

noun

a male bee in a colony of social bees, whose sole function is to mate with the queen

British a person who lives off the work of others

a pilotless radio-controlled aircraft

Derived Forms

dronish, adjective

Word Origin for drone

Old English drān; related to Old High German treno drone, Gothic drunjus noise, Greek tenthrēnē wasp; see drone ²

British Dictionary definitions for droner (2 of 2)

drone

/ (drəʊn) /

verb

(intr) to make a monotonous low dull sound; buzz or hum

(when intr, often foll by on) to utter (words) in a monotonous tone, esp to talk without stopping

noun

a monotonous low dull sound

music

a sustained bass note or chord of unvarying pitch accompanying a melody
(as modifier)a drone bass

music one of the single-reed pipes in a set of bagpipes, used for accompanying the melody played on the chanter

a person who speaks in a low monotonous tone

Derived Forms

droning, adjectivedroningly, adverb

Word Origin for drone

C16: related to drone 1 and Middle Dutch drōnen, German dröhnen

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for droner

drone

[ drōn ]

A male bee, especially a honeybee whose only function is to fertilize the queen. Drones have no stingers, do no work, and do not produce honey.

Culture definitions for droner

drone

In military usage, a pilotless aircraft used for reconnaissance and, more recently, for launching aerial attacks.