chiropractor
Americannoun
-
chiropractors
plural
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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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.
See Examples For:
He was referred to a chiropractor, but the treatment did not improve his condition.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Finn McGeachan, 21, is studying to be a chiropractor at the University of South Wales in Cardiff.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
McAfee has professed the benefits of unpasteurized milk in public libraries and chiropractor offices.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
When the 55-year-old New Jersey chiropractor looks at his current balance, he is stupefied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
“I swear if I went to a chiropractor, I’d have a lawsuit.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
So, I was just having chiropractors every day.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The healthcare professional category was a broad one: It included doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers, chiropractors and massage therapists, among other jobs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
There also isn’t a national certification for stretch therapists, as there is for physical therapists and chiropractors, though most stretch therapists are certified in-house by their respective employers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025
For the chiropractors, they are valuable marketing, helping to build business.
From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
Bullhead’s distinguishing civic feature is the Mohave Valley Highway, four lanes of asphalt lined with gas stations and fast-food franchises, chiropractors and video shops, auto-parts outlets and tourist traps.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
