noun
drone
DROHN/drəʊn/
An aircraft operated remotely or autonomously without an onboard pilot.
The drone hovers above the grass near its handheld controller.
Etymology
Old English dran meant a male honeybee. The noun later acquired the meaning “pilotless aircraft,” but the evidence does not establish what motivated that transfer.
In context
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAV. These machines are primarily used in situations where the conditions are too dry, distant, dull or dangerous for human pilots. However, the term drone can be highly misleading, as there are many different kinds.
More examples
- Several drones surveyed the roof.
- She landed the drone on a clear patch of ground.
- The drone carried a small camera.
Forms
drone · drones
Similar words
- aircraft
- Aircraft includes piloted craft.
- quadcopter
- Quadcopter specifies four rotors; drones have varied designs.