orthopedic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of orthopedic
First recorded in 1830–40; ortho- + Greek paid- (stem of paîs “child”; cf. ped-) + -ic
Explanation
An orthopedic surgeon is one who operates on bones and muscles to fix them. The word orthopedic comes from the Greek orthos meaning "straight, correct" and paideia meaning "rearing of children." The term was originally used for children and the kind of treatment they received for skeletal deformities like bow legs or knock-knees. An orthopedic shoe is one that is supposed to help correct the deformed bones and support the weakened muscles of a foot.
Vocabulary lists containing orthopedic
Flowers for Algernon
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Clean Getaway
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Merci Suárez Changes Gears
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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.
“He is currently unable to participate in any running activities,” orthopedic surgeon Stuart M. Gold said in a court filing, describing a now-16-year-old boy who struggles to move around quickly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
They are among the most common problems treated by orthopedic specialists, yet effective therapies remain limited.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026
Hatayama performed orthopedic surgery on Mr. Tillman — despite not being a board-certified orthopedic surgeon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
An orthopedic surgeon who has treated her back problems and prescribed medications to help with her pain works for an independent practice, First State Orthopaedics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025
Ernest was fighting a chronic sinus infection, his back was aching, and an orthopedic brace that had been made for him fit so poorly it aggravated rather than relieved the pain.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
