surgeon
Americannoun
noun
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a medical practioner who specializes in surgery
-
a medical officer in the Royal Navy
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Her sister, who went to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, had a daughter who became a plastic surgeon and a son who became a doctor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026
A surgeon said Joshua’s right leg would likely require additional surgery and medical care throughout his life, which will cost $1.5 million to $2 million.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
"Things are moving in the right direction, but we are still well behind," says Prof Hussain Alnajjar, a consultant urological surgeon at University College London Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic London.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Liggett Group LLC, where the court agreed in part with the tobacco industry that the congressionally mandated surgeon general’s warning about cigarettes already superseded any state-based failure-to-warn claim.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
Turning his attention to the Ares 3 flight surgeon, Teddy asked, "Dr. Keller, can we reduce Watney's food intake to make the rations last longer?"
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
