doctor

The word “doctor” means a person trained and licensed to treat sick or injured people. In plain terms, a medical professional or degree-holder, or (as a verb) to tamper with something to change its meaning or content.

“Doctor” is pronounced DOK-tuh (/ˈdɑktɚ/ in IPA).

Here is “doctor” used in a sentence: “She saw a doctor about the persistent cough.”

Words with a similar meaning to “doctor” include family doctor, general practitioner, GP, medic, physician and sawbones.

Depending on how it is used, “doctor” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “doctor” comes from Latin. From Latin doctor, "teacher," from docere, "to teach.".

“Doctor” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Doctor” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person trained and licensed to treat sick or injured people.

In everyday use they are often the same thing. Physician specifically means a medical doctor who treats illness, usually through medicine rather than surgery. Doctor is broader: it covers physicians, surgeons, and dentists, and also anyone holding a doctorate such as a PhD. All physicians are doctors, but not all doctors are physicians.

Doctors specialize in many fields. General practitioners handle everyday care, while specialists focus on areas such as cardiology (heart), dermatology (skin), pediatrics (children), and psychiatry (mind). Surgeons operate; anesthesiologists manage pain during surgery. Most train first as general doctors, then pursue years of further study in their chosen specialty.

Yes. The title "doctor" originally meant a learned scholar, and anyone awarded a doctorate — a PhD or equivalent — earns the right to be called doctor. In medical settings, though, "doctor" usually refers to a physician. Both uses are correct; context tells you whether the person practices medicine or holds an academic degree.