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locum tenens

American  
[loh-kuhm tee-nenz, ten-inz] / ˈloʊ kəm ˈti nɛnz, ˈtɛn ɪnz /

noun

Chiefly British.
locum tenentes plural
  1. a temporary substitute, especially for a doctor or member of the clergy.


locum tenens British  
/ ˈləʊkəm ˈtiːnɛnz /

noun

  1. Often shortened to: locum.  a person who stands in temporarily for another member of the same profession, esp for a physician, chemist, or clergyman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of locum tenens

First recorded in 1635–45; from Medieval Latin locum tenēns “holding the place”

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.

Nearly nonverbal, Scrat wouldn’t even require a locum tenens; of all the movie’s sins, his omission is unforgivable.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2022

John Huneke, 69, who last year sold the ophthalmology practice he ran for 33 years in Ada, Okla., has done several locum tenens stints through CompHealth.

From Time Magazine Archive

Though still a church term, locum tenens is also used for temporary health-care jobs.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the Middle Ages, the term locum tenens, Latin for "holding the place," was used to describe substitute priests.

From Time Magazine Archive

Meanwhile however Mephistopheles presents himself and is accepted as a locum tenens.

From The Faust-Legend and Goethe's 'Faust' by Cotterill, H. B. (Henry Bernard)

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