drones

Noun

drone (plural drones)

1. A male hymenopteran (ant, bee, hornet, or wasp), whose sole primary function is to mate with the queen.
   • All with united force combine to drive / The lazy drones from the laborious hive.1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
2. (archaic) One who does not work; a lazy person, an idler.
   • SHYLOCK: / The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder, / Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day / More than the wild-cat; drones hive not with me; / Therefore I part with him; and part with him / To one what I would have him help to waste / His borrowed purse. […]c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
3. One who performs menial or tedious work.

   Synonyms:

   drudge

4. Any remotely operated or autonomous vehicle for land, sea, air, or space.
   • aerial drones
   1. An aircraft operated by remote control, especially an uncrewed/unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
      • Near-synonyms: UAV, UAS, OPV, RPV, FPV
   2. Any remotely operated or autonomous underwater vehicle, especially when multiple such vehicles are operated from a larger vessel.
      • Near-synonyms: ROV, ROUV, UUV, AUV

See all 20 meanings of drone