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

Citi’s former CEO Sandy Weill just gave the largest donation in veterinary medicine to the school that cared for his dog.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 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

Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides used in agriculture, horticulture and veterinary medicine to control pests - but they also harm bees and other beneficial insects.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024

The literature of veterinary medicine abounds in similar examples: swine eating sprayed cockleburs with consequent severe illness, lambs eating sprayed thistles, bees poisoned by pasturing on mustard sprayed after it came into bloom.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson