drone

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English drān; akin to Old High German treno drone, Greek thrēnos dirge Date: before 12th century 1. the male of a bee (as the honeybee) that has no sting and gathers no honey 2. one that lives on the labors of others ; parasite 3. an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control 4. a. drudge 1 b. drudge 2 II. verb (droned; droning) Date: circa 1520 intransitive verb 1. a. to make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound <

droning bees

> b. to talk in a persistently dull or monotonous tone <

droning on and on about his health

> 2. to pass, proceed, or act in a dull, drowsy, or indifferent manner <

the afternoon droned on

> transitive verb 1. to utter or pronounce with a drone 2. to pass or spend in dull or monotonous activity or in idleness • droner noun • droningly adverb III. noun Date: circa 1520 1. a deep sustained or monotonous sound ; hum 2. an instrument or part of an instrument (as one of the fixed-pitch pipes of a bagpipe) that sounds a continuous unvarying tone 3. pedal point