Part 3489

<hw>Drone</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>drane</ets> a dronebee, AS. <ets>dr\'ben</ets>; akin to OS. <ets>dr\'ben</ets>, OHG. <ets>treno</ets>, G. <ets>drohne</ets>, Dan. <ets>drone</ets>, cf. Gr. <?/ a kind of wasp, dial. Gr. <?/ drone. Prob. named fr. the droning sound. See <er>Drone</er>, <tt>v. i.</tt>]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See <er>Honeybee</er>.</def>

<blockquote>All with united force combine to drive The lazy <b>drones</b> from the laborious hive. <i>Dryden.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard.</def>

<blockquote>By living as a <b>drone</b>,to be an unprofitable and unworthy member of so noble and learned a society. <i> Burton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>That which gives out a grave or monotonous tone or dull sound; as: <sd>(a)</sd> A drum. <mark>[Obs.]</mark> <i>Halliwell</i>. <sd>(b)</sd> The part of the bagpipe containing the two lowest tubes, which always sound the key note and the fifth.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>A humming or deep murmuring sound.</def>

<blockquote>The monotonous <b>drone</b> of the wheel. <i>Longfellow.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <fld>(Mus.)</fld> <def>A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.</def>

<h1>Drone</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Drone</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Droned</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Droning</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Cf. (for sense 1) D. <ets>dreunen</ets>, G. <ets>dr\'94hnen</ets>, Icel. <ets>drynja</ets> to roar, <ets>drynr</ets> a roaring, Sw. <ets>dr\'94na</ets> to bellow, drone, Dan. <ets>dr\'94ne</ets>, Goth. <ets>drunjus</ets> sound, Gr. <?/ dirge, <?/ to cry aloud, Skr. <ets>dhran</ets> to sound. Cf. <er>Drone</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound.</def>

<blockquote>Where the beetle wheels his <b>droning</b> flight. <i>T. Gray.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To love in idleness; to do nothing.</def> "Race of <i>droning</i> kings."

<i>Dryden.</i>

<h1>Drone bee</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Drone" bee`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The male of the honeybee; a drone.</def>

<h1>Drone fly</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Drone" fly`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A dipterous insect (<spn>Eristalis tenax</spn>), resembling the drone bee. See <er>Eristalis</er>.</def>

<h1>Dronepipe</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Drone"pipe`</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One of the low-toned tubes of a bagpipe.</def>

<h1>Drongo</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Dron"go</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Drongos</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt>.</plu> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A passerine bird of the family <spn>Dicrurid\'91</spn>. They are usually black with a deeply forked tail. They are natives of Asia, Africa, and Australia; -- called also <altname>drongo shrikes</altname>.</def>

<h1>Dronish</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Dron"ish</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Like a drone; indolent; slow.</def> <i>Burke</i>. -- <wordforms><wf>Dron"ish*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>Dron"ish*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Dronkelewe</h1> <Xpage=456>

<hw>Dron"ke*lewe</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Drink</er>.]</ety> <def>Given to drink; drunken.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Chaucer.</i>