Word: drone
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...bagpipe was the forerunner of the pipe-organ. Some early man found that by blowing into a bag with several ramifying reeds attached he could produce many notes at once. That and the "drone," a bell-ended pipe attached to the bag which sounds an uninterrupted bass note, are the main characteristics of the bagpipe. It has a limited range of notes, is very difficult to play. The bag is held under the piper's left arm, the blowpipe which feeds the bag is held in his mouth, his fingers play along the "chaunter," the melody pipe punctuated with lateral...
...would much prefer to listen to the roar of an aeroplane engine than to the drone of a saxophone. And as for partners--well, she'd "rather step out to a jig with an aviator than with a Harvard man." In fact, the University boys who attend such affairs amuse her. She would choose the company of pilots and mechanics...
...charmer sets his serpent on the ground and blows through his pungi. The pungi is a bottle-shaped gourd with two reeds or bamboos inserted. One tube has finger stop-holes and emits a shrill penetrating whine. The other has no holes and gives out a drone. Snakes have no ears. But under their skin they have two primitive ear drums and through those the Indian snake feels the pungi's vibrations. And to them it wags its head like a tremulous dotard, puffing and belching the while...
...business of placing the condemned man in the electric chair is quickly and simply done. Then-"as the switch is thrown into its socket there is a sputtering drone, and the body leaps as if to break the strong leather straps that hold it. Sometimes a thin gray wisp of smoke pushes itself out from under the helmet that holds the head electrode, followed by the faint odor of burning flesh. The hands turn red, then white, and the cords of the neck stand out like steel bands. After what seems an age, but is. in fact, only two minutes...
...tall, dark, ministerial figure grasping the high lectern with both outstretched hands. Despite the speaker's height, his appearance was partly obscured by the three panels of aluminum microphones behind which all the convention speakers had to function. Chairs kept on scraping. Seats clacked up and down. The drone of conversation died away slowly as the Voice resumed...