martinet

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The Word of the Day for June 26 is:

martinet   \mar-tuh-NET\   noun
     1 : a strict disciplinarian
    *2 : a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details 
of forms and methods

Example sentence:
     He complained that his office manager was a power-hungry 
martinet who compelled him to follow ridiculous rules.

Did you know?
     When France's King Louis XIV appointed Lieutenant Colonel 
Jean Martinet to be inspector general of the infantry in the 
late 17th century, he made a wise choice. As a drillmaster, 
Martinet trained his troops to advance into battle in precise 
linear formations and to fire in volleys only upon command, thus 
making the most effective use of inaccurate muskets -- and 
making the French army one of the best on the continent. He also 
gave English a new word. "Martinet" has been used synonymously 
with "strict disciplinarian" since the 1730s.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.