doctor
doctor — noun
1. someone qualified in medicine who examines health problems and gives treatment f
someone qualified in medicine who examines health problems and gives treatment for illnesses or injuries
Diya went to the doctor because her cough would not go away.
go to the doctor (common phrase)
The doctor told Mr. Lam his blood pressure was high and suggested eating less salt.
doctor + tell + person + that-clause
Hamza has worked as a doctor at the children's hospital for six years.
work as a doctor (profession construction)
The clinic doctor listened to Sayaka's breathing before prescribing an inhaler for her asthma.
Many doctors now offer video calls instead of in-person appointments.
- see a doctor
- go to the doctor
- consult a doctor
- treat
- prescribe
- diagnose
Usage Note
Used as a title (Dr.) before a person's surname: Dr. Chen. In British English, 'doctor' also covers dentists; in American English, 'Dr.' can refer to both medical doctors and academic degree holders.
Common Mistakes
2. the room, clinic, or building where a doctor meets and treats patients
the room, clinic, or building where a doctor meets and treats patients
At the doctor, Sade waited while a nurse prepared the exam room for her check-up.
go to the doctor (place meaning)
The nurse at the doctor's office told Quan to sit in the waiting room.
Minho forgot his umbrella at the doctor and had to go back for it.
at the doctor (place)
The doctor's office on Green Street opens at eight every weekday morning.
Talia walked past the doctor and saw a long line of patients outside.
- at the doctor
- go to the doctor
- the doctor's office
- call the doctor
Usage Note
"The doctor" can refer to the place of work rather than the person, especially in phrases like "go to the doctor" or "at the doctor." In American English, "the doctor's office" is more explicit.
Common Mistakes
3. someone who has been given a university's highest academic title, for example a
someone who has been given a university's highest academic title, for example a Doctor of Philosophy
Dr. Padma Kapoor, a doctor of physics, won an international research award.
doctor of + field (academic title)
Ravindra earned his doctorate in chemistry at the age of twenty-six.
The ceremony honored fifteen new doctors of philosophy this spring.
doctor of philosophy (PhD)
A doctor of literature from Cambridge will speak at the conference.
Dahlia wants to become a doctor of economics after her master's degree.
- doctor of philosophy
- doctor of laws
- doctor of medicine
- honorary doctor
Usage Note
Always used with a specification of the academic field: "doctor of philosophy," "doctor of laws," etc. As a title (Dr.), it is used before the surname in both academic and medical contexts, which can cause ambiguity.
Common Mistakes
exactly what someone wanted or needed, often at a perfect time
After a long hike, a cold glass of lemonade was just what the doctor ordered.
A week of warm sunshine was just what the doctor ordered after the rainy spring.
doctor — verb
1. to make illegal or dishonest changes to a document, record, or image in order to
to make illegal or dishonest changes to a document, record, or image in order to mislead others
The accountant doctored the company records to hide the missing funds.
doctor + records/accounts
Prosecutors proved that James had doctored his passport to enter the country illegally.
The photograph was doctored to make it look like the actor was in Paris.
passive: be doctored (image/photo)
The journalist was fired for doctoring a voice recording to change what the politician had said.
- doctor records
- doctor accounts
- doctor a photograph
- doctor figures
- falsify
more formal and legal, often used in official contexts; 'falsify evidence'
- forge
specifically for signatures, documents, or money; implies creating a fake
- tamper with
slightly broader; can include physical interference beyond documents
- authenticate
to prove something is genuine
Grammar Patterns
doctor + noun phrase
Usage Note
Object is typically a written document, financial record, legal paper, photograph, or digital file. The implication is always that the change is dishonest and intended to trick someone.
Common Mistakes
2. to secretly mix a dangerous substance into what someone will eat or drink, witho
to secretly mix a dangerous substance into what someone will eat or drink, without their knowledge
The police discovered that someone had doctored the wine at the wedding party, leaving two guests very sick.
doctor + drink (passive)
Eleni was accused of doctoring her colleague's coffee with sleeping pills.
doctor + food/drink + with + substance
Tests showed that the bottled water in the office had been doctored with a strong cleaning chemical.
A restaurant worker was jailed for doctoring the soup with a toxic substance that sickened fifteen customers.
- doctor food
- doctor a drink
- doctor with poison
- doctor with drugs
- poison
more direct; implies the substance is lethal or intended to kill
- spike
informal; often used for adding drugs or alcohol to a drink without consent
- tamper with
broader; can mean interfering with food packaging or contents
Grammar Patterns
doctor + noun phrase + with + noun phrase
Usage Note
The harmful substance is typically introduced with the preposition 'with.' This sense is distinct from sense (1) because it involves physical contamination rather than document alteration.
Common Mistakes
3. to scratch or rub a cricket or baseball on purpose so that the ball does not beh
to scratch or rub a cricket or baseball on purpose so that the ball does not behave fairly for the other team
The bowler was banned for eight matches for doctoring the cricket ball during an international test match.
doctor + the ball (cricket/baseball)
The umpire inspected the baseball closely and found that its surface had been doctored.
passive: be doctored (ball)
The cricket player was suspended for doctoring the ball with a bottle top to make it spin more.
The team's championship was overturned after officials proved the ball had been doctored during the final inning.
- doctor the ball
- doctored ball
- ball doctoring
- tamper with
broader sports use; can apply to any equipment
- manipulate
less specific; can refer to any unfair interference
Grammar Patterns
doctor + noun phrase
be doctored
Usage Note
Almost always used in passive voice or as a past participle ("doctored ball"). This sense is highly domain-specific and unlikely to appear outside cricket or baseball reporting.
Common Mistakes
4. to perform a surgical procedure on an animal to stop it from being able to have
to perform a surgical procedure on an animal to stop it from being able to have babies
The veterinarian doctored the stray cats in the park to control the neighborhood's growing cat population.
doctor + animal (informal for spay/neuter)
Matthew decided to doctor his dog to prevent unwanted puppies.
The animal shelter doctors every pet before allowing adoption to prevent unwanted litters.
Andrew had his rabbit doctored by a local veterinarian last month to prevent reproductive health issues.
have + animal + doctored (causative)
- doctor a cat
- doctor a dog
- get something doctored
Grammar Patterns
doctor + noun phrase
Usage Note
An informal or euphemistic alternative to more clinical terms like 'neuter,' 'spay,' or 'castrate.' Commonly used by pet owners and animal shelter workers rather than veterinarians in professional writing.
Common Mistakes
5. to give medical care to someone who is sick or injured; to work as a medical pra
to give medical care to someone who is sick or injured; to work as a medical practitioner
The village elder doctored the wounded soldiers with herbal remedies.
doctor + person + with + remedy
In remote mountain villages, nurses often doctor patients with common illnesses when no physician is available.
Anjali doctored her children at home with warm tea and bed rest.
doctor at home (informal care)
Before modern hospitals, barbers sometimes doctored people with simple tools.
- doctor someone
- doctor a wound
- doctor patients
Grammar Patterns
doctor + noun phrase
Usage Note
Somewhat dated or informal in modern everyday English. 'Treat' is the more common word for giving medical care. This sense survives most often in historical writing, rural contexts, or when describing non-professional medical care at home.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
"Doctor" is the general, everyday term for a trained medical professional. "Physician" is more formal and, in British English, often refers specifically to a doctor who treats illness with medication rather than surgery. "Surgeon" is a doctor who performs operations — all surgeons are doctors but not all doctors are surgeons. A "GP" (general practitioner) provides broad primary care as the first point of contact, while a "specialist" focuses on a single area such as cardiology or dermatology. "Medic" is informal, used for military medical personnel or medical students. For example: "The doctor prescribed antibiotics." "A physician at the hospital reviewed the test results." "A medic treated the soldier's wounds on the battlefield."
Common collocations
Etymology
The word "doctor" comes from Latin 'docere' meaning 'to teach.' In medieval Europe, a doctor was originally a teacher or learned authority, particularly a university scholar qualified to teach. By the 1300s, the title "Doctor of Medicine" was used for university-trained physicians, and over time "doctor" became the everyday word for a medical practitioner. The verb senses developed much later: the 'falsify' sense emerged in the late 1700s from the idea of 'repairing' or 'mending' something, which shifted toward dishonest alteration.