Myrmidon

[ mur-mi-don, -dn ]

/ ˈmɜr mɪˌdɒn, -dn /

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noun, plural Myr·mi·dons, Myr·mid·o·nes

[mur-mid-n-eez]. /mɜrˈmɪd nˌiz/.

Classical Mythology. one of the warlike people of ancient Thessaly who accompanied Achilles to the Trojan War.

(lowercase) a person who executes without question or scruple a master's commands.

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Origin of Myrmidon

Middle English, from Latin Myrmidones (plural), from Greek Myrmidónes; def. 1 first recorded in 1425-75, and def. 2 first recorded in 1625-50

Words nearby Myrmidon

myrmecochory, myrmecology, myrmecophagous, myrmecophile, myrmecophily, Myrmidon, Myrna, myrobalan, myron, myrrh, Myrrha

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Myrmidon in a sentence

So he passed on, and with his myrmidon reached Galway, without incurring any impediment from Mr. Lax.
The Landleaguers|Anthony Trollope
After receiving (p. 096) them on board, we made sail, accompanied by the Myrmidon, for England.
The Surrender of Napoleon|Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland.
He turned to his myrmidon: "Get a move on you, Herbert; it's a bit parky standing about here."
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, Nov 21, 1917 |Various
What Myrmidon or Dolopian, or soldier of stern Ulysses, could in such a tale restrain his tears!
The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil

It sits on the top of its blade of grass, and when a myrmidon passes below, it throws a little skein of cobweb at its head.
Atlantis|Gerhart Hauptmann

British Dictionary definitions for Myrmidon

Myrmidon

/ (ˈmɜːmɪˌdɒn, -dən) /

noun plural Myrmidons or Myrmidones (mɜːˈmɪdəˌniːz)

Greek myth one of a race of people whom Zeus made from a nest of ants. They settled in Thessaly and were led against Troy by Achilles

(often not capital) a follower or henchman

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