surgeon general
Americannoun
plural
surgeons general-
the chief of medical services in one of the armed forces.
-
(initial capital letters) the head of the U.S. Bureau of Public Health or, in some states, of a state health agency.
noun
-
(in the British, US, and certain other armies and navies) the senior officer of the medical service
-
the head of the public health service in the US
Etymology
Origin of surgeon general
First recorded in 1770–80
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.
Lurie said that usually the most powerful surgeon general reports are those that leave consumers with the ability to make changes themselves or that might spur policy change.
From Salon • Jan. 7, 2026
The primary power of any surgeon general is in being the voice of authority as America’s top doctor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
"We'll end up having pockets of outbreaks of different types of infectious diseases," Florida's former surgeon general, Scott Rivkees, told the BBC.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025
Regrettably, Loomer also disapproves of Means’ selection as surgeon general, in part due to her history of talking to trees.
From Slate • May 10, 2025
On September 13, seventy top cancer researchers from around the world would gather to present their research, he said, and hundreds of people would attend, including the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the surgeon general.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
