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Glite Dictionary
drill master

drill master

1 7.7
A soldier who trains new soldiers in marching and discipline
  • noun
  • /drɪl ˈmæstər/
translation icon : maestro de instrucción
  • The drill master shouted commands during practice.

Examples

  • Every morning, the drill master led physical exercises before marching drills began.

  • The drill master barked instructions as the recruits marched across the parade ground.

  • After weeks of training, the drill master praised the soldiers' improved discipline.

  • Many drill masters have years of experience in the military.

  • The drill master taught the recruits how to march in formation.

  • As the drill master, she ensured every recruit understood the discipline required.

  • During training, the drill master instructed the soldiers on proper parade steps.

Synonyms

drill instructor
vsdrill master
6 5.1

A soldier who trains new soldiers in marching, discipline and basic tasks

focuses only on marching and discipline rather than broader basic procedures
drillmaster
vsdrill master
6.7

A person who leads and trains recruits in military exercises

is a specific noncommissioned officer role focusing on recruits and formal discipline

Surface Forms

drill master singular
drill masters plural

Morphology

drill + master

The meaning 'a person responsible for instructing recruits' is directly derivable from combining 'drill' (to train by repeated exercises) with 'master' (a person with authority). This compound follows a regular English pattern (agent/role formed from verb + master) and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Drill master comes from the army: a drill was the regular practice of marching and a master was the person who taught it and made recruits repeat the steps carefully. So, the term came to mean 'a teacher who trains recruits and keeps them disciplined'.