English Explanatory Dictionary

doctor

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A physician; a member of the medical profession; one who is trained and licensed to heal the sick or injured. The final examination and qualification may award a doctor degree in which case the post-nominal letters are DO, DPM, MD, DMD, or DDS in the US, or MBBS or BDS in the UK.
  2. A person who has attained a doctorate, such as a Ph.D. or Th.D. or one of many other terminal degrees conferred by a college or university.
  3. A veterinarian; a medical practitioner who treats non-human animals.
  4. A nickname for a person who has special knowledge or talents to manipulate or arrange transactions.
  5. A teacher; one skilled in a profession or a branch of knowledge; a learned man.
  6. Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty or serve some purpose in an exigency.
  7. A fish, the friar skate.
  8. A witchdoctor.
  9. A ship's cook.
verb
  1. To act as a medical doctor to.
  2. To act as a medical doctor.
  3. To make (someone) into an (academic) doctor; to confer a doctorate upon.
  4. To physically alter (medically or surgically) a living being in order to change growth or behavior.
  5. To genetically alter an extant species.
  6. To alter or make obscure, as with the intention to deceive, especially a document.
  7. To adulterate, drug, or poison (drink).
  8. To take medicine.
noun
  1. The title of an academic or medical doctor; used before or instead of the doctor's name.
phrase
  1. A mnemonic to help remember the difference between the Spanish verbs ser and estar (both meaning "to be"); ser is generally used for: Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Times, Origins, and Relationships.

Pronunciation

/ˈdɒktə(ɹ)/ /ˈdɑktɚ/ /ˈdɔktə/ /ˈdɒktə/ /ˈdɒktəɹ/ En-uk-doctor.ogg en-us-doctor.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-doctor.wav

Word forms

doctor doctors doctour doctoring doctored

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-der. Proto-Italic *dokeō Latin doceō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin doctorbor. Old French doctur Anglo-Norman doctourder. Middle English doctour English doctor From Middle English doctor, doctour (“an expert, authority on a subject”), from Anglo-Norman doctour, from Latin doctor (“teacher”), from doceō (“to teach”). Displaced native Middle English lerare (“doctor, teacher”) (from Middle English leren (“to teach, instruct”) from Old English lǣran, lēran (“to teach, instruct, guide”), compare Old English lārēow (“teacher, master”)). Displaced Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician”).

Synonyms

family doctor general practitioner GP medic physician sawbones surgeon doctor doc leech physic medician medical doctor vet veterinarian veterinary veterinary surgeon Dr Dr.

Related words

docent doctorand doctorate doctrine doctrix Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Doctor of Arts Doctor of Architecture Doctor of Applied Science Doctor of Business Administration Doctor of Chemistry Doctor of Chiropractic Doctor of Civil Law Doctor of Criminal Justice Doctor of Comparative Civil Law Doctor of Computer Science Doctor of Criminology Doctor of Dental Medicine Doctor of Dental Surgery Doctor of Design Doctor of Education Doctor of Environmental Design Doctor of Engineering Doctor of Environment Doctor of Engineering Science Doctor of Forestry Doctor of Fine Arts Doctor of Geological Science Doctor of Hebrew Literature Letters Doctor of Health and Safety Doctor of Hebrew Studies Doctor of Industrial Technology Doctor of Information Technology Doctor of Juridical Science Doctor of Library Science Doctor of Music Doctor of Musical Arts Doctor of Musical Education Doctor of Ministry Doctor of Modern Languages Doctor of Music Ministry Doctor of Medical Science Doctor of Nursing Science Doctor of Public Administration Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Doctor of Pharmacy Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Physical Education Doctor of Physical Therapy Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Doctor of Psychology Doctor of Public Health Doctor of Professional Studies Doctor of Religious Education Doctor of Recreation Doctor of Science Doctor of Science in Dentistry Doctor of Science and Hygiene

Derived words

abortion doctor an apple a day keeps the doctor at bay an apple a day keeps the doctor away Angelic Doctor antidoctor barefoot doctor bedoctor brain doctor Cape Doctor cleaning-doctor clown doctor color-doctor colour-doctor company doctor couch doctor dedoctor doc doctorable doctoral doctor-assisted suicide doctor bird doctor blade doctor-box doctorcraft doctordom doctorer doctorese doctoress doctress doctor-fish doctorfish Doctor George Mountain doctor-gum doctorhead doctorhood doctorial doctorise doctorize doctorish doctorishness doctorism doctor killer doctorless doctorlike doctorling doctorly Doctor Martens Doctor of Divinity Doctor of Law Doctor of Letters Doctor of Philosophy Doctor of Science Doctor of the Chair Doctor of Veterinary Medicine doctor's bonnet doctor's certificate Doctors' Commons doctor's curse Doctors Gap doctor's gum
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