Drone, drōn, v.i. to make a low humming sound.—n. the bass-pipe of a bagpipe.—n. Drone′-pipe, a pipe producing a droning sound. [M. E. drounen, to roar; not found in A.S. Cf. Dut. dreunen, Ger. dröhnen.]
Drool, drool, v.i. to slaver—a form of Drivel.
Droop, drōōp, v.i. to sink or hang down: to grow weak or faint: to decline.—v.t. to let sink.—n. a drooping position.—adv. Droop′ingly, in a drooping manner. [Ice. drúpa, to droop. See Drop.]
Drop, drop, n. a small particle of liquid which falls at one time: a very small quantity of liquid: anything hanging like a drop: a fall: a trap in the gallows scaffold, the fall of which allows the criminal to drop: a device for lowering goods into a ship's hold.—v.i. to fall in small particles: to let drops fall: to fall suddenly: to come to an end: to fall or sink lower.—v.t. to let fall in drops: to let fall: to let go, dismiss, break off, as an acquaintance: to utter casually: to write and send (a note) in an off-hand manner: to set down from a carriage:—pr.p. drop′ping; pa.p. dropped.—ns. Drop′-drill, an apparatus for dropping seed and manure into the soil simultaneously; Drop′-hamm′er, Drop′-press, a swaging, stamping, or forging machine having either a regular or intermittent motion; Drop′let, a little drop; Drop′-lett′er (U.S.), a letter posted in any place merely for local delivery; Drop′-net, a net suspended from a boom, to be suddenly dropped on a passing shoal of fish; Drop′ping, that which is dropped: (pl.) dung, esp. of fowls.—adj. Drop′-ripe, so ripe as to be ready to drop from the tree.—ns. Drop′-Scene, a painted curtain suspended by pulleys, which drops in front of the stage in a theatre; Drop′-stone, a stalactic variety of calcite.—adv. Drop′-wise (Tenn.), by drops.—n. Drop′-wort, the Spiræa Filipendula.—Drop astern (naut.), to pass or move towards the stern; Drop away, off, to depart, disappear; Drop down, to sail, move, or row down a coast, or down a river to the sea; Drop in, to come in casually; Drop out, to disappear from one's place; Drop serene, an old medical name for amaurosis, literally translated from L. gutta serena.—A dropping fire, a continuous irregular discharge of small-arms.—Prince Rupert's drops, drops of glass which have fallen in a melted state into cold water, and have assumed a tadpole-like shape, the whole falling to dust with a loud report if the point of the tail be nipped off. [A.S. dropa, a drop—dreópan, to drop; Dut. drop, Ger. tropfe.]
Dropsy, drop′si, n. an unnatural collection of water in any part of the body.—adjs. Drop′sical, Drop′sied (Shak.), affected with dropsy.—n. Drop′sicalness. [Through Fr. from L. hydropisis—Gr. hydrōps—hydōr, water.]
Drosera, dros′er-a, n. a genus of small herbaceous plants of the order Droseraceæ, generally inhabiting marshy places. [Formed from Gr. droseros—drosos, dew.]
Droshky, drosh′ki, Drosky, dros′ki, n. a low four-wheeled open carriage much used in Russia. [Russ. drozhki.]
Drosometer, drō-som′e-ter, n. an instrument for measuring the quantity of dew condensed on the surface of a body left in the open air. [Gr. drosos, dew, metron, measure.]
Dross, dros, n. the scum which metals throw off when melting: waste matter: refuse: rust.—n. Dross′iness.—adj. Dross′y, like dross: impure: worthless. [A.S. drós, from dreósan, to fall; cf. Dut. droesem; Ger. druse.]
Drought, drowt, Drouth, drowth, n. dryness: want of rain or of water: thirst.—ns. Drought′iness, Drouth′iness.—adjs. Drought′y, Drouth′y, full of drought: very dry: wanting rain, thirsty. [A.S. drúgathe, dryness—drúgian, to dry.]