4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Drone  \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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  drone 
  n  1:  stingless  male  bee  in  a  colony  of  social  bees  (esp. 
  honeybees)  whose  sole  function  is  to  mate  with  the  queen 
  2:  an  unchanging  intonation  [syn:  {monotone},  {droning}] 
  3:  someone  who  takes  more  time  than  necessary  [syn:  {dawdler}, 
  {laggard}] 
  4:  a  pilotless  aircraft  operated  by  remote  control  [syn:  {pilotless 
  aircraft},  {radio-controlled  aircraft}] 
  5:  a  pipe  of  the  bagpipe  that  is  tuned  to  produce  a  single 
  continuous  tone  [syn:  {drone  pipe},  {bourdon}] 
  v  1:  make  a  monotonous  low  dull  sound 
  2:  talk  in  a  monotonous  voice  [syn:  {drone  on}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  drone  n.  Ignorant  sales  or  customer  service  personnel  in 
  computer  or  electronics  superstores  Characterized  by  a  lack  of  even 
  superficial  knowledge  about  the  products  they  sell  yet  possessed  of 
  the  conviction  that  they  are  more  competent  than  their  hacker  customers. 
  Usage:  "That  video  board  probably  sucks,  it  was  recommended  by  a  drone  at 
  Fry's"  In  the  year  2000,  their  natural  habitats  include  Fry's  Electronics, 
  Best  Buy  and  CompUSA 
 
 

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