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drillmaster

American  
[dril-mas-ter, -mah-ster] / ˈdrɪlˌmæs tər, -ˌmɑ stər /

noun

  1. a person who trains others in something, especially routinely or mechanically.

  2. Military. a person who instructs in marching drill.

drillmaster British  
/ ˈdrɪlˌmɑːstə /

noun

  1. Also called: drill sergeant.  obsolete a military drill instructor

  2. a person who instructs in a strict manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of drillmaster

First recorded in 1865–70; drill 1 + master

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The flamboyant “colonel,” as Forbes styled himself, struck Brown as the perfect drillmaster for the volunteer force he planned to train.

From BusinessWeek • Oct. 19, 2011

Not all educators agree with O'Leary's aims or his drillmaster methods.

From Time Magazine Archive

The first surprise of Bandung was that they spoke with many voices and accepted no drillmaster.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thus the precise drillmaster came to grips with the wielder of superlative power.

From Time Magazine Archive

Shrimp would have made an excellent drillmaster had he possessed the patience and the human decency of Sergeant Brimmer.

From Uncle Sam's Boys in the Ranks or, Two Recruits in the United States Army by Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.