driller
UK[ˈdrɪlə(r)]US[ˈdrɪlər]
n
a person or a machine that makes holes in something using a drill.
n
a person who trains others in a skill or procedure by making them repeat it regularly.
Morpheme Breakdown
drill
er
drill
to turn
er
Etymology
the word 'driller' is a transparent english formation combining the verb 'drill' with the agentive suffix '-er'. the verb 'drill' entered english in the 16th century from dutch, where it originally described the action of boring holes or turning. the '-er' suffix is one of the most productive in english, directly inherited from old english, used to form nouns indicating a person or thing performing an action. therefore, a 'driller' literally means 'one who drills', a logical and consistent evolution from its constituent parts, first applied to manual laborers and later extended to mechanical devices.
Analysis
Structure: drill + er
- drill: from dutch drillen (to bore, turn in a circle), of uncertain ultimate origin, possibly from a proto-indo-european root meaning 'to turn'. functions as the action root.
- er: from old english -ere, a germanic agent noun suffix denoting 'one who does or works with something'. functions as an agentive suffix.
Examples
the oil driller worked long shifts on the remote platform.
the company purchased a new automated driller for the construction site.
he was a strict driller, putting the recruits through endless practice.