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to doctor

to doctor

4 3.2
To give medical help to someone
  • verb
  • /ˈdɑktər/
translation icon : tratar
  • One day you may be in a war situation, doctoring for the Uganda Army.

Examples

  • Ipa continued to doctor the horse's swollen leg with lantana leaves and fed it mesquite beans until it was past the danger of dying.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • One day, I went out after dinner with my dad to doctor a late calf with scours, a dysentery that could kill him.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Please, doctor, I don't care what you do, but please do something.

  • When my father was sick in bed, Del helped my mother mend fences and doctor the cows.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The vet will doctor the injured dog to ensure it gets better soon.

  • After the storm, she needed to doctor the broken fence to keep the animals safe.

  • He learned how to doctor wounds while volunteering at the animal shelter.

Synonyms

to treat
vsto doctor
831 2.7

To give medical care to try to cure an illness or injury

is the general act of giving medical help rather than only curing
to care for
vsto doctor
347 1.0

Look after a sick or injured person and give them needed help

focuses on ongoing support while the key means giving medical treatment
to medicate
vsto doctor
30 5.1

Give medicine to a person or animal to treat an illness

is broader meaning provide medical help not limited to using drugs

Antonyms

100 3.5

Not caring for someone or something that needs care

Idioms

Exactly what you need or want in a situation

Phrasal Verbs

146 1.8

To visit a doctor to get advice or help

to doctor up
  • Informal
1 8.1

To change something to hide mistakes or trick people

Compounds

18 8.2

A person in some cultures who uses rituals and plant medicines to heal people

17 2.0

A doctor who gives regular health care to all family members over many years

16 2.8

A doctor who checks and treats problems with the eyes

A doctor who people respect and trust

spin doctor
  • Literature
7 7.1

A person who makes news or events look better to influence people's opinions

A doctor who performs abortions

A doctor who works in the countryside and cares for people far from hospitals

foot doctor
  • Informal
2 2.7

A doctor who treats problems with the feet

baby doctor
  • Informal
2 3.4

A doctor who cares for babies and young children

quack doctor
  • Offensive
1 7.5

A person who pretends to be a doctor and gives fake medical treatments

1 3.3

A person who treats and cares for horses

Doctor of Philosophy
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A university degree that shows you did new research after several years of study

1 9.6

A saint in the Roman Catholic Church honored for important religious teaching and writing

Doctor of Divinity
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A high university degree in religious study given to senior scholars

Doctor of Medicine
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A university degree that lets a person treat sick people

A university degree for people who lead public health programs and make health policy

A university degree in science that universities give for important research or as an honor

1 2.3

A doctor who treats ear problems and helps with hearing

A doctor who treats problems of the ear, nose, and throat

skin doctor
  • Informal
1 3.4

A doctor who treats skin problems like rashes and eczema

3.5

A university degree that lets someone work as a dentist

4.4

A degree dentists receive after dental school that lets them operate on teeth

Doctor of Education
  • Specialized
4.5

A university degree for advanced study and research about teaching and schools

Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Specialized
6.3

A special degree that a university gives to people for work in the fine arts

8.9

An honorary university degree given for important work in literature or the humanities

Doctor of Humanities
  • Specialized
5.7

An honorary university degree given for important work in subjects like history or literature

Doctor of Laws
  • Specialized
7.0

A university degree given after study or to honour someone for important work in law

Doctor of Music
  • Specialized
6.7

A university degree that shows advanced study or performance in music

6.4

An advanced university degree for people who perform, write, or conduct music

Doctor of Optometry
  • Specialized
4.8

A high-level degree for people who test and treat problems with sight

Doctor of Osteopathy
  • Specialized
5.1

A doctor qualified in osteopathic medicine who can treat patients, prescribe medicine, and perform surgery

The highest university degree in theology given by the Catholic Church

A university degree for advanced study and research about religion

Doctor of Arts
  • Specialized
7.1

A high-level degree for study or achievement in arts and humanities

doctor-fish
  • Specialized
9.4

A brightly colored tropical fish with sharp spines found in the Caribbean

A small freshwater fish that nibbles dead skin during spa pedicures

fish doctor
  • Specialized
8.9

A brightly colored fish with no scales that lives in cold northern waters

A person who uses plant medicines to treat illnesses

A person who talks with spirits to heal people or tell the future

pox doctor
  • Archaic
9.9

A doctor who treated people with smallpox and other contagious diseases during outbreaks

9.9

A long, thin insect with bright, shiny wings that eats mosquitoes

A doctor who cares for women's health, especially during pregnancy and for the parts used for having babies

How Thorough

to cure
549 2.4
to operate
155 4.5
to doctor
4 3.2
to examine
868 2.5
to bandage
34 2.7

Surface Forms

doctor infinitive
doctored past
doctored past participle
doctoring present participle
doctors third person singular

Etymology

Doctor as a verb comes from the noun doctor (a medical person). To 'doctor' someone originally means to act like a doctor and give medical care, which is why we say a nurse 'doctored' the wound.