n.
- a person who is qualified to practise medicine.
▸N. Amer. a qualified dentist or veterinary surgeon.
-
(Doctor)
a person who holds the highest university degree.
- an artificial fishing fly.
v.
- adulterate, tamper with, or falsify.
- informal practise medicine.
- Brit. remove the sexual organs of (an animal) so that it cannot reproduce.
Phrase
- be what the doctor ordered
informal be beneficial or desirable. - go for the doctor
Austral./NZ informal make an all-out effort.
Derivative
- doctoring n.
- doctorly adj.
Etymology
ME (in the senses ‘learned person’ and ‘Doctor of the Church’): via OFr. from L. doctor ‘teacher’.