Dictionary entries for 'doctor'

Synonyms

doc·tor (dŏḱtər)

[Middle English, an expert, authority, from Old French docteur, from Latin doctor, teacher, from docēre, to teach.]

noun

A person, especially a physician, dentist, or veterinarian, trained in the healing arts and licensed to practice.
1. A person who has earned the highest academic degree awarded by a college or university in a specified discipline.
2. A person awarded an honorary degree by a college or university.
Used as a title and form of address for a person holding the degree of doctor.
Roman Catholic Church An eminent theologian.
A practitioner of folk medicine or folk magic.
A rig or device contrived for remedying an emergency situation or for doing a special task.
Any of several brightly colored artificial flies used in fly fishing.

Informal

Informal To give medical treatment to: “ does more than practice medicine. He doctors people. There's a difference” (Charles Kuralt)
To repair, especially in a makeshift manner; rig.
1. To falsify or change in such a way as to make favorable to oneself: doctored the evidence.
2. To add ingredients so as to improve or conceal the taste, appearance, or quality of: doctor the soup with a dash of sherry. See synonyms at adulterate
3. To alter or modify for a specific end: doctored my standard speech for the small-town audience.
4. Baseball To deface or apply a substance to (the ball): was ejected because he doctored the ball with a piece of sandpaper.