Drone
/droʊn/
Definitions
5 meaningsA continuous low humming sound.
/droʊn/
A low, monotonous humming sound.
The drone of the air conditioner made it difficult to concentrate.
💡 Simply: Think of the sound a bee makes when it's flying around your garden – that's a drone! Or the low hum of an airplane. It's a continuous, boring sound.
👶 For kids: A drone is a long, humming sound, like a bee buzzing.
More Examples
The steady drone of the traffic outside my window lulled me to sleep.
He was kept awake by the persistent drone of the refrigerator.
How It's Used
"The drone of the engine filled the quiet afternoon."
"The bagpipes played a continuous drone."
An unmanned aircraft; a remote-controlled flying machine.
/droʊn/
An unmanned aerial vehicle.
The company is testing drone delivery services.
💡 Simply: A drone is like a robot airplane that you control from the ground! People use them to take pictures, deliver packages, or even for the military.
👶 For kids: A drone is a robot airplane that you can fly with a remote.
More Examples
The police used a drone to monitor the crowd.
The photographer used a drone to get a bird's-eye view of the landscape.
How It's Used
"The military uses drones for surveillance and combat."
"He captured stunning aerial footage with his drone."
A male bee.
/droʊn/
The worker bees fed the drone.
💡 Simply: In a bee colony, there's the queen and the worker bees who make honey. The drone is the male bee whose only job is to mate with the queen.
👶 For kids: A drone is a boy bee whose job is to help make baby bees.
More Examples
The drone plays a crucial role in the reproduction of the bee colony.
The queen bee mates with the drones.
How It's Used
"The drone's primary function is to mate with the queen bee."
To speak in a monotonous, low tone; to talk on and on.
/droʊn/
To speak in a monotonous tone.
The speaker droned on for hours, and I almost fell asleep.
💡 Simply: Ever listened to someone talking who just goes on and on in a boring, flat voice? That's droning! Like when a teacher just reads from the textbook.
👶 For kids: To drone means to talk and talk and talk in a boring way.
More Examples
He droned through the presentation, losing the audience's attention.
The lecturer droned on about his research.
How It's Used
"The professor droned on about the history of the topic."
"He droned out his opinions during the argument."
To make a continuous low humming sound.
/droʊn/
To make a low, continuous humming sound
The air conditioner droned all night.
💡 Simply: Imagine a fan on your desk always making a low, constant sound. The fan is droning, or making a drone sound.
👶 For kids: When something goes 'hummmm' for a long time.
More Examples
The old machine droned on constantly.
The distant traffic droned in the background.
How It's Used
"The engine droned loudly."
"The city always droned with activity."
Idioms & expressions
drone on
To talk in a boring, monotonous way for a long time.
"The politician droned on for hours about his accomplishments."
drone on and on
To speak continuously and at length in a boring way.
"The teacher droned on and on about the history of the ancient Rome."
From Middle English *dronen*, related to Old English *drān* ('drone bee'). The verb's meaning expanded to include a monotonous sound or action, and later, unmanned aerial vehicles.
The noun 'drone' appeared earlier, referring to a male bee. The verb usage (to speak monotonously) developed later, with the meaning of the unmanned aerial vehicle being the most recent.
Memory tip
Imagine a bee: it makes a drone.