Doctors

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɑktɚz/

Definitions

1. A medical professional who diagnoses and treats illnesses or injuries; an individual trained in the care of patients in various fields of medicine; a practitioner who provides health care and may prescribe medication and therapies
2. A qualified person dedicated to healing others by assessing medical conditions and implementing treatment plans; one who may specialize in areas such as pediatrics or surgery; a health care provider responsible for patient welfare and recovery
3. An expert in health responsible for examining and advising on medical issues; a person who conducts research or teaches in medical disciplines; a practitioner who engages in clinical practice to promote health and wellness

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "doctors" is how little it had to do with medicine for most of its life. Its ancestor is Latin "doctor," meaning simply "teacher," from "doceō," "to teach." A doctor was someone who taught or was an authority in a subject, and English used the word that way from Middle English onward, when it meant an expert whose learning others should trust, whether in theology, law or any other field. Medicine did not claim the title until later. Before "doctor" took hold, English speakers had a native word, "lǣċe," for a physician, and a native "lerare," a teacher, which "doctor" eventually displaced. The plural "doctors" simply follows the noun, so it carries the same long history of meaning a learned authority first, and a healer only by specialization.

Synonyms: physicians, medics, surgeons, healers, clinicians

Antonyms: patients, sick, injured, diseased, unwell