Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DRONE, n. [Sax. drane, dræn; G. drohne, whence dröhnen, to tinkle, to shake, to tingle. See Ar. Nos. 4 and 7, Class Rn.]

1. The male of the honey bee. It is smaller than the queen bee, but larger than the working bee. The drones make no honey, but after living a few weeks, they are killed or driven from the hive. – Encyc. Hence,
2. An idler; a sluggard; one who earns nothing by industry. – Addison.
3. A humming or low sound, or the instrument of humming. – Milton.
4. The largest tube of the bag-pipe, which emits a continued deep note.