surgeon
Americannoun
noun
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a medical practioner who specializes in surgery
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a medical officer in the Royal Navy
Etymology
Origin of surgeon
1250–1300; Middle English surgien < Anglo-French, alteration of Old French cirurgien chirurgeon
Explanation
A surgeon is a kind of doctor who treats his patients by using his hands, often by performing surgery. If you're comfortable slicing into a person's body to remove an appendix, then you might make a decent surgeon. The word surgeon comes from the Greek kheirourgos, which is a fancy way of saying "done by the hand." Whereas a doctor-at-large might treat his patients by chatting with them, asking questions, and prescribing medications, a surgeon's work is much more hands-on, you might say. A surgeon specializes in cutting open the body, usually to heal his patients.
Vocabulary lists containing surgeon
Occupations
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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.
“Get the EV you need, not the one that will cover every contingency,” writes Steven Yedlin, a retired surgeon who splits his time between California and Michigan.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Likewise, the camera observes Weinberg’s Tereza with a sensual tactility that I haven’t seen lavished on any actor over 70 who hasn’t spent her golden years at the plastic surgeon.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Davies is set to have a pelvic scan and may need stronger antibiotics, as his orthopaedic surgeon believes there could still be some of the bacteria in his body.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
The surgeon who wants to perform the world’s first head transplant.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Dorothea, who had married the ship’s surgeon Philip Hendriks shortly after returning to Amsterdam, invited her mother to come live with them.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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.
