Chiropodist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɪˈɹɒpədɪst/

Definitions

1. A healthcare provider skilled in the treatment and management of various foot conditions and responsible for offering guidance on maintaining foot health
2. A professional who diagnoses and treats problems related to feet and advises on foot hygiene
3. An expert trained to manage diseases and disorders affecting the feet along with preventative care

Etymology: Chiropodist is a straightforward formation: it takes "chiropody", the older name for foot care, and adds the suffix "-ist" to name the practitioner. The "-ody" part of "chiropody" comes from Greek, where "cheir" meant "hand" and "pous" meant "foot," so the old name literally joined the words for hand and foot, even though the profession dealt only with feet. The mismatch is a quirk of the components rather than a change in meaning over time. The "-ist" ending, borrowed from Greek through Latin, has long marked someone who practises or specialises in a field, as in "dentist" or "pharmacist." Attaching it to "chiropody" gave English a clear title for the person doing that work.

Synonyms: podiatrist, foot doctor