chiropractor
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of chiropractor
First recorded in 1900–05; chiropract(ic) + -or 2, as if a Latin noun with -tor
Explanation
Got an aching back? You might want to visit a chiropractor, a health care provider who specializes in the alignment of the spine. Chiropractors, though they provide health care, are not medical doctors; they are licensed by the state and have a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Many people consider chiropractic care to be pseudoscience, since its effectiveness hasn't been scientifically confirmed. Others believe it's useful alternative medicine. The word chiropractor has roots meaning "hand" and "practical," or "done by hand." A chiropractor treats patients in part by physically manipulating their spines.
Vocabulary lists containing chiropractor
The Martian
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Missing May
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The Thing About Luck
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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.
McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
Ardis, who typically goes by Dr. Bryan Ardis, though he does not have a medical degree, is a chiropractor with a doctorate of chiropractic from Parker University in Texas.
From Salon • Jan. 9, 2026
Betancur, the chiropractor, had been in repayment for over two decades at that point, and hoped to get his loans forgiven.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025
Facey’s modest solo practice was based in a gray Anchorage office building, where he shared space with personal injury attorneys, a chiropractor and a financial advisor.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2025
“I swear if I went to a chiropractor, I’d have a lawsuit.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
