English word drone comes from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrs, and later Proto-Germanic *drēnuz (Male bee or wasp; drone.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *dʰrs | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *drēnuz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Male bee or wasp; drone. |
| drǣn | Old English (ang) | |
| drone | Middle English (enm) | |
| drone | English (en) | (now, _, rare) Someone who does not work; a lazy person, an idler.. A male bee or wasp, which does not work but can fertilize the queen bee.. A remotely controlled aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).. One who performs menial or tedious work; a drudge. |