|
|
Vocabulary Building Blocks: (34 Down) drone (VERB) 1. To make a dull humming sound. 2. To speak monotonously. 3. Talk in a monotonous tone of voice. (NOUN) 1. A dull humming sound, as of a bee. Synonym: monotone. 2. One of the single-note
pipes of the bagpipe; also a bagpipe. Synonyms: bourdon, drone pipe. 3. The male
of the bee, esp. of the honeybee, having no sting and gathering no honey. 4. A
loafer who lives by the labor of others. 5. Someone who takes more time than
necessary; someone who lags behind. Synonyms: dawdler, laggard, lagger, trailer.
6. (In Aeronautics) An unmanned airplane piloted by remote control. Synonyms:
pilotless aircraft, radio-controlled aircraft. Derives from Middle English:
drone male bee.
Did You Know? (57 Across) The Encyclopaedia
Britannica was first published in Scotland in 100 parts from 1768 to 1771.
The Encyclopedia Americana was compiled in 30 volumes in 1829. For
generations, an encyclopedia in the Western world generally referred to a
multi-volume reference work. Today, there are encyclopedias on CDs, DVDs, and
Internet versions that exist only in cyberspace. The word encyclopedia derives
from the Greek words enkyklios paideia, meaning "comprehensive
education" and originally referred to a general education in all branches of
knowledge, or a thorough education in one specific subject. The dictionary
definition of encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work made up of
systematically arranged articles broadly covering the whole range of knowledge
or treating of one particular field.
|
