myrmidon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a follower who carries out orders without question
  2. noun (Greek mythology) a member of the warriors who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy

WordNet

Myr"mi*don noun
Etymology
L. Myrmidones, Gr. , pl.
Definitions
  1. One of a fierce tribe or troop who accompained Achilles, their king, to the Trojan war.
  2. A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes cruel orders of a superior without protest or pity; -- sometimes applied to bailiffs, constables, etc. Thackeray.
    With unabated ardor the vindictive man of law and his myrmidons pressed forward. W. H. Ainsworth.

Webster 1913