surgeon

American  

[sur-juhn] / ˈsɜr dʒən /

noun

1. a physician who specializes in surgery.

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surgeon British  

/ ˈsɜːdʒən /

noun

1. a medical practioner who specializes in surgery

2. a medical officer in the Royal Navy

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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.

Example Sentences

Grossman, who is 62 years old and the wife of prominent plastic surgeon Dr. Peter Grossman, was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving 15 years to life in prison for the boys’ deaths.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

“He’s got like the best cholesterol numbers you’ll see,” said Dr. Daniel Torrent, a Georgia vascular surgeon, who added that it is unusual for medication to achieve such favorable numbers.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

"The whole effect was discovered by accident," explains Brian Wong, a professor and surgeon at the University of California, Irvine.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

A cancer patient had the wrong part of their bowel removed during an operation after a surgeon mistook a tattoo for the site of a tumour, a report has said.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

"Really," he told her, "we ought to get you to a proper doctor. I'm not a surgeon or anything."

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• expert
• physician
• professor
• scientist
• specialist