Added 8 October 2026
doctor
/ˈdɒktə(ɹ)/ noun
Latin root: doctor Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about doctor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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A licensed medical practitioner.
I felt so bad I went to see my doctor
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(Roman Catholic Church) a title conferred on 33 saints who distinguished themselves through the orthodoxy of their theological teaching.
the Doctors of the Church greatly influenced Christian thought down to the late Middle Ages
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Children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office.
the children explored each other's bodies by playing the game of doctor
verb
Origin
From Middle English doctor, doctour (“an expert, authority on a subject”), from Anglo-Norman doctour, from Latin doctor (“teacher”), from doceō (“to teach”). Displaced native Middle English lerare (“doctor, teacher”) (from Middle English leren (“to teach, instruct”) from Old English lǣran, lēran (“to teach, instruct, guide”), compare Old English lārēow (“teacher, master”)). Displaced Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)