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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

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. (Zool.) The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers
no honey. See {Honeybee}.
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All with united force combine to drive
The lazy drones from the laborious hive. --Dryden.
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2. One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle
fellow; a sluggard.
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By living as a drone,to be an unprofitable and
unworthy member of so noble and learned a society.
-- Burton.
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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.
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4. A humming or deep murmuring sound.
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The monotonous drone of the wheel. --Longfellow.
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5. (Mus.) A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.
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Drone \Drone\ (dr[=o]n), 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.
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Where the beetle wheels his droning flight. --T.
Gray.
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2. To love in idleness; to do nothing. "Race of droning
kings." --Dryden.
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