MARTINET

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 1 February 2012

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MARTINET  (n. pl. -S)

Definition(s):

1. (n.) a strict or inflexible disciplinarian
2. (n.) one who demands rigid adherence to rules

Useful information for game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: -S
• Anagrams: INTERMAT
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: (none)

Epilogue:
The word MARTINET that is currently in use is an EPONYM, meaning that it is derived from the name of a real or fictional person: it traces to a Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Martinet, who was a drillmaster of the French army in the 17th century.  He implemented strict drills and disciplinary methods that were subsequently adopted by the military units of several other nations, and his name eventually became a common word for anyone who demands adherence to rules or order.

An unrelated English word MARTINET, meaning a type of small bird (a MARTIN or SWIFT) or a type of small whip resembling the bird’s tail, was current from approximately the 1400s through the early 1800s, but those senses are now rarely used.

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