Medicus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term from ancient Rome referring to a physician or healer who practiced medicine and provided medical care
2. An individual in historical contexts recognized for their expertise in medical treatment and healing practices
3. A professional in antiquity specializing in health, often playing a crucial role in community wellbeing

Etymology: "Medicus" is the Latin word for a physician, and its root is "mederi," meaning "to heal" or "to cure." The Romans applied the term broadly. A "medicus" could be a licensed doctor, a surgeon, or a practitioner whose training was thin, and many were Greek-speaking freedmen or slaves, since medicine in Rome drew heavily on Greek learning and Greek physicians had a strong reputation there. The word survives in English mainly through its derivatives. "Medic," a shortened form of "medical," appeared in the early twentieth century, and "medicine" came into English in the 13th century from Old French, ultimately from Latin "medicina." English also borrowed "medical" from medieval Latin "medicalis" in the 15th century. Within Latin itself, the derivative "medicina" developed both the sense of the art of healing and the sense of a remedy.

Synonyms: doctor, physician, medical practitioner, healer, clinician

Antonyms: patient, sick person