orthopedic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonorthopedic adjective
- orthopedically adverb
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.
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
The crash rate for alpine racing is so high that skiers become accustomed to competing with injuries, said Kevin Stone, an orthopedic surgeon in San Francisco and a former U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
In the hospital, Etienne met Gregory Adamson, an American orthopedic surgeon who had traveled to Haiti to help the injured.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
She’s still in her white uniform and white orthopedic shoes.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
