barber-surgeon

[bahr-ber-sur-juhn]

noun

1. (formerly) a barber practicing surgery and dentistry.

Word History and Origins

Origin of barber-surgeon¹

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

“The Matrix” actor will play Regis, a wise barber-surgeon who is beloved among fans of the books.

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Francis also said the group’s patron saint was Saint Martin de Porres – a barber-surgeon known for helping the poor and sick in the 16th century.

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Back in the days of corsets and union suits, whenever a railroad baron turned poorly, he would go see the local barber-surgeon or apothecary and, no matter what was wrong, get a prescription for cocaine, heroin or alcohol.

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One step up was the barber-surgeon, and a step up from him was the itinerant tooth puller — although he really earned his money from the spectacle of pulling out teeth in front of a crowd.

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Most of them probably did their teeth pulling with the patient on the floor and the barber-surgeon, as they were first called, holding the head or kneeling on the chest for better leverage.

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