drone
n. countablen. a small aircraft that flies without a pilot inside and is controlled from the ground. You can use it for taking photos, delivering items, or for military tasks.
n. an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or aircraft controlled remotely or autonomously. Often used in military contexts for surveillance or strikes, and in civilian life for photography and logistics.
He uses a drone to take aerial photos of the beach.
The military deployed a drone to monitor the border without putting pilots at risk.
While hobbyists enjoy flying drones for recreation, the technology has sparked significant debate regarding privacy rights and the ethics of remote warfare in international law.
From Middle English drane, from Old English drān, from Proto-West Germanic drānu, from Proto-Germanic drēniz, drēnuz, drenô (“an insect, drone”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰreh₁n- (“bee, drone, hornet”). Cognate with Danish drone (“drone”), Dutch dar (“male bee or wasp”), German Drohne, dialectal German Dräne, Trehne, Trene (“drone”), Low German drone (“drone”), Swedish drönje, drönare (“drone”). The etymology of the sense of "remote-controlled aircraft" is disputed; theories include early military UAVs dumbly flying on preset paths.
From Middle English drounen (“to roar, bellow”), from Proto-West Germanic drunnjan, from Proto-Germanic drunjaną (“to drone, roar, make a sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“to roar, hum, drone”). Cognate with Scots drune (“to drone, moan, complain”), Dutch dreunen (“to drone, boom, thud”), Low German drönen (“to drone, buzz, hum”), German dröhnen (“to roar, boom, rumble”), Danish drøne (“to roar, boom, peel out”), Swedish dröna (“to low, bellow, roar”), Icelandic drynja (“to roar”).
Commonly used as a modifier in compound nouns like 'drone strike' or 'drone delivery'.