veterinary medicine

American  

noun

1. the branch of medicine dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of diseases in animals, especially domesticated animals.

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veterinary medicine British  

noun

1. the branch of medicine concerned with the health of animals and the treatment of injuries or diseases that affect them

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veterinary medicine Scientific  

/ vĕt′ər-ə-nĕr′ē /

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diseases or injuries of animals and their treatment.

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Etymology

Origin of veterinary medicine

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Party A and Party B agree to share physical custody and pet costs, including veterinary, medicine, and pet-food costs associated with Beatrice, a Maine coon cat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Starting in July, graduate students attending professional programs, including for medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, will be able to borrow a maximum of $200,000 over the course of their degree.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Ketamine is used legitimately in human and veterinary medicine as an anaesthetic, for pain relief and more recently to manage treatment-resistant depression.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

The Education Department would define the following fields as professional programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry and theology.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2025

Dan Dalgard, a doctor of veterinary medicine, was the consulting veterinarian at the Reston Primate Quarantine Unit.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston