Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One who insists on something unyieldingly.
- noun Something puzzling or difficult.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun An attendant on or a judge of a contest, as a duel; a second; hence, an arbitrator; a peacemaker.
- noun An obstinate contender about anything, often about a thing of little consequence: as, a stickler for ceremony; an advocate; a partizan.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun One who stickles.
- noun obsolete One who arbitrates a duel; a sidesman to a fencer; a second; an umpire.
- noun One who pertinaciously contends for some trifling things, as a point of etiquette; an unreasonable, obstinate contender.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun someone who insists on something
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The main stickler is that by the end of the book, the reader is left without a sense of closure.
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Now the only stickler is that it just so happens she’s out of town on business this week and doesn’t know she’s switching.
My wife is switching to Apple OS X, she just doesn’t know it yet! — Meandering Passage 2006
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Diane Groomes was known as a stickler for the rules City Desk
DeMorning DeBonis: Nov. 24, 2010 Mike DeBonis 2010
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Mr. Ulrich, known as a stickler for detail, relied on its heritage of upscale merchandising and uncluttered aisles to make Target stand out.
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His main job is penciling — creating the initial drawings, based on stories from writers, which are then finished by inkers — and he is known as a stickler for detail.
Archie: American Idol Windolf, Jim 2006
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His main job is penciling — creating the initial drawings, based on stories from writers, which are then finished by inkers — and he is known as a stickler for detail.
Archie: American Idol Windolf, Jim 2006
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There is no accepted coaching category called stickler or nitpicker.
NYT > Home Page By BILL PENNINGTON 2012
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Cardenas, who bends over to pick up a piece of popcorn off the suite's carpeted floor, is also known as a stickler for cleanliness and a borderline perfectionist.
chicagotribune.com - 2010
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Harvard Law graduate who was known as a stickler for detail while a lawyer in private practice.
unknown title 2009
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Harvard Law graduate who was known as a stickler for detail while a lawyer in private practice.
unknown title 2009
chained_bear commented on the word stickler
I've heard and used this word many times, but was surprised to find out its military/dueling origins:
"STICKLER, a sides-man to a fencer, or a second to a duelist (sic)." (citation in list description)
Makes sense, then, that this word is often used to describe "someone who demands exact conformity to rules." I would too, if someone's life depended on it.
October 9, 2008
reesetee commented on the word stickler
Interesting! I'm looking at my "Sticklers Unite" editor's plaque in a whole new light. ;-)
October 10, 2008
vendingmachine commented on the word stickler
One who stickles.
April 30, 2016