plural drones
1
: a stingless male bee (as of the honeybee) that has the role of mating with the queen and does not gather nectar or pollen
At some point, usually around late spring or early summer in the Midwest, thousands of worker bees and drones—half or more of the colony's total population—may fly away with the old queen to find a new home.—
Jim Doherty and Terry Domico
Jim Doherty and Terry Domico2
: an uncrewed aircraft or vessel guided by remote control or onboard computers: such as
a
: a small remotely-operated rotorcraft usually with a mounted camera
We drifted past a man who was operating a quadcopter drone with a GoPro attached. It swooped over us and then receded upriver.—Nick Paumgarten
Nick PaumgartenSome particularly dramatic drone footage shows the lava field advancing on a neighborhood.—Eric Mack
Eric Mack
b
: an uncrewed military aircraft or vessel
Armed drones contribute to the illusion that wars can be won on the cheap.—Sarah Kreps and Paul Lushenko
Sarah Kreps and Paul LushenkoDesigned and built in the UK, Taranis is one of the biggest military drones on the battlefield, with a wingspan of almost 12 metres.—How It Works Magazine
How It Works Magazine… waterborne drones are already being deployed by the Navy's 5th Fleet in the waters off the Middle East.—David Sharp
David SharpBoeing is modifying the retired Lockheed Martin-built F-16s into target drones …—Flight International
Flight InternationalThe CIA has used pilotless drone planes, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to carry out attacks in countries including Afghanistan and Pakistan.—Mark Thomas
Mark ThomasIf a two-year trial is successful, the Navy might consider developing drone ships for other tasks, such as deactivating unexploded mines.—Kelsey Atherton and Sarah Fecht
Kelsey Atherton and Sarah FechtAs the U.S. slashes budgets, the lethality and cost-effectiveness of drone strikes will likely make them an even more attractive option.—Carla Anne Robbins
Carla Anne RobbinsThe military is developing these technologies to defend against drone attacks.—Iain Boyd
Iain Boyd3
informal
a
: a person who is obliged to do menial work : drudge sense 1
b
: a person whose work is routine and boring : drudge sense 2
one of many office drones
4
: someone or something that lives on the labors of others : parasite
… a new Utopia in which robots … do all the work while human drones recline in pneumatic bliss.—John Diebold
John Diebold
droned; droning
1
a
: to make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound
droning bees
The air conditioner droned.
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.
1
: to utter or pronounce with a drone
2
: to pass or spend in dull or monotonous activity or in idleness
droning the years away
droner
noun
1
: a deep sustained or monotonous sound : hum
the drone of the motor
2
music
: an instrument or part of an instrument (such as one of the fixed-pitch pipes of a bagpipe) that sounds a continuous unvarying tone
3
music
: pedal point
Synonyms
Examples of drone in a Sentence
Noun (1)
those drones just lie around while we do all the work
after lunch my fellow drones and I shuffle back to our cubicles
Verb
We could hear wasps droning in the garden.
the sound of droning bees all around us
Noun (2)
heard the drone of an airplane overhead
Recent Examples on the Web
David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Imagine an epic steaming series in which modern gladiators dodge killer drones the size, and lethality, of flying shotgun shells, which weigh about an ounce.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Ukrainian officials said that at least two people were injured and buildings were damaged by Russian drone strikes on the southern region of Odesa.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drone 
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Verb
Kyiv also has a new branch to its military dedicated exclusively to drone warfare.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Imagine an epic steaming series in which modern gladiators dodge killer drones the size, and lethality, of flying shotgun shells, which weigh about an ounce.
—Charlie Fink, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Noun
Unusual Machines continues to focus on integrating its recent acquisitions and expanding its presence in the commercial drone industry.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
Ukrainian officials said that at least two people were injured and buildings were damaged by Russian drone strikes on the southern region of Odesa.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for drone
Articles Related to drone
Dictionary Entries Near drone
Cite this Entry
“Drone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drone. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drone
1 of 3 noun1
: a stingless male bee (as of the honeybee) whose only function is to mate with the queen bee
2
: a person who lives off the work of others
3
informal
: a person who does dull, menial, or hard work
4
: an uncrewed aircraft or ship guided by remote control or by computers carried onboard
drone
2 of 3 verb
droned; droning
: to make or speak with a continuous low humming sound
a plane droning overhead
droned on about himself
drone
3 of 3 noun1
: one of the pipes on a bagpipe that sound fixed continuous tones
2
: a deep monotonous sound : hum
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