What does "drogue" mean?
A floating object attached to the end of a harpoon line to slow a whale down and prevent it from diving.
Drogue
noun, verb
noun, verb ·1 syllable ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A floating object attached to the end of a harpoon line to slow a whale down and prevent it from diving.
- Grammar: drogue is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: air sock, air-sleeve, anchor, arrest.
- Usage evidence: through the sash window I could see the black truck pulling up the drive towards the main road, the silver caravan coming behind like a drogue that was preventing the gypsies from submerging, escaping into the very centre of the earth.
How to use "drogue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "drogue" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "drogue" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "drogue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "drogue" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "drogue" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air sock" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "drogue", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A floating object attached to the end of a harpoon line to slow a whale down and prevent it from diving.
"through the sash window I could see the black truck pulling up the drive towards the main road, the silver caravan coming behind like a drogue that was preventing the gypsies from submerging, escaping into the very centre of the earth."
- 2 a parachute used to decelerate an object that is moving rapidly wordnet
- 3 A type of bag pulled behind a boat to stop it from broaching to.
- 4 restraint consisting of a canvas covered frame that floats behind a vessel; prevents drifting or maintains the heading into a wind wordnet
- 5 A conical parachute used as a brake for some kinds of aircraft, or as a means of extracting and deploying a larger parachute, or to slow a rapidly-moving vehicle to a speed where it can safely deploy a larger parachute.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a truncated cloth cone mounted on a mast; used (e.g., at airports) to show the direction of the wind wordnet
- 7 A conical basket or device used variously as a target for gunnery practice, and as a docking point for aerial refuelling.
- 8 a funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane wordnet
- 9 A wind cone.
Verb
- 1 To harpoon or spear (a whale) with a weapon that has a drogue attached. transitive
"The old whalesman was not long aboard before getting confirmed in his conjecture that the ship was the same whose boats had harpooned and “drogued” the cachalot', the carcass of which had been encountered by the Catamaran."
- 2 To use a drogue with. transitive
"Here this type was drogued at 30 m by a^([sic]) 11.85 m parachute while the other types were not drogued."
- 3 To act as a drogue, slowing down and stabilizing a drifting object. intransitive
"Four drifters were deployed that drogued at 100 m by a 9.2-m personnel parachute off the island of Kyushu."
- 4 To transport small loads along the coastline to larger ports, where they can be added to the cargo of larger ships that make longer journeys. transitive
"In the East India Free Trade, the same custom is creeping in, many mercantile houses keeping small brigs constantly in the country droguing, that is, collecting freights for their large ships, which themselves only go to the head ports."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"through the sash window I could see the black truck pulling up the drive towards the main road, the silver caravan coming behind like a drogue that was preventing the gypsies from submerging, escaping into the very centre of the earth."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "drogue"?
Common synonyms include: air sock, air-sleeve, anchor, arrest, bit, brake.
How do you use "drogue" in a sentence?
through the sash window I could see the black truck pulling up the drive towards the main road, the silver caravan coming behind like a drogue that was preventing the gypsies from submerging, escaping into the very centre of the earth.
Etymology
Uncertain; probably related to drag in some way.