oculist
Americannoun
Synonym Usage
See eye doctor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of oculist
First recorded in 1590–1600; French oculiste; see ocul-, -ist
Explanation
People who lived in previous centuries who had trouble seeing street signs, reading small print, or suddenly had horrible eye pain, would have visited an oculist. This was a doctor who dealt with eye disorders. The root word, oculus, is Latin for “eye.” Oculist is actually a rather out-dated and old-fashioned term. Now, the more popular names for these kinds of doctors are ophthalmologist and optometrist. Ophthalmologists deal with more serious problems and diseases. Optometrists address less serious issues, perform vision tests, and prescribe corrective lenses.
Vocabulary lists containing oculist
The Great Gatsby
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The Miracle Worker
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Some Latin-based Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In The Perfect Oculist, of 1666, Robert Turner, a London doctor, recommended turtle’s blood and the powdered head of a bat for the treatment of squints.
From The Guardian • May 10, 2018
However, Hays's chief rival for the nomination is expected to be the man who ousted him from Congress, Little Rock Oculist Dale Alford, 50, who has yet to announce.
From Time Magazine Archive
German Oculist, trying on spectacles: “What do you read now?”
From Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War, Volume 1 The First Twelve Months of War by Raemaekers, Louis
In 1705 he was knighted for his services in curing many seamen and soldiers of blindness gratis, and he was appointed Oculist in Ordinary to the Queen.
From The Journal to Stella by Swift, Jonathan
German Oculist: “That is right: that pair exactly suits you.”
From Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War, Volume 1 The First Twelve Months of War by Raemaekers, Louis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
