martinet
[mahr-tn-et, mahr-tn-et]
noun
a strict disciplinarian, especially a military one.
someone who stubbornly adheres to methods or rules.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- martineau,
- martineau, harriet,
- martineau, james,
- martinelli,
- martinelli, giovanni,
- martinez,
- martingale,
- martini,
- martini, simone,
- martini-henry
Origin of martinet
1670–80; after General Jean Martinet (died 1672), French inventor of a system of drill
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for martinet
martinet
noun
Word Origin for martinet
C17: from French, from the name of General Martinet, drillmaster under Louis XIV
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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martinet
1670s, "system of strict discipline," from the name of Jean Martinet (killed at siege of Duisburg, 1672), lieutenant colonel in the Régiment du Roi, who in 1668 was appointed inspector general of the infantry. "It was his responsibility to introduce and enforce the drill and strict discipline of the French regiment of Guards across the whole infantry." [Olaf van Minwegen, "The Dutch Army and the Military Revolutions 1588-1688," 2006] The meaning "an officer who is a stickler for strict discipline" is first attested 1779 in English. The surname is a diminutive of Latin Martinus (see Martin).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper