to doctor
5
4.8
- verb
- /ˈdɑktər/
- He decided to doctor the torn shirt by sewing on a patch to cover the hole.
Examples
-
If the car has a dent, you can doctor it by using a suction cup to pull it out.
-
The technician had to doctor the printer to fix the paper jam and ensure it worked again.
-
I'll let you doctor it up yourself.
-
Frank helps "doctor" the calves.
Fiction book (1998) -
He sat on the platform, his back against the wall, and started to doctor it.
Fiction book (1998) -
She kept doctoring it herself because she was afraid to have it lanced.
Fiction book (1992) -
Paddy had been cut and bruised in the fall, and Jack had been doctoring him with his own remedies.
Fiction book (1997) -
A woman I interviewed remembered a time when she was a child that she was allowed to see Mrs. Parrish doctoring one of her relatives in the Roundhouse, where children usually were not allowed to go.
Academic text (1994) -
And then using a little dental tool and my hands, I'm going to be laying down those little strands of Belgian linen across the tear, much like a doctor would suture.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To repair something so it works again
487
2.8
Make something again after it is damaged or destroyed
338
1.0
To fix something that is broken or not working
127
2.5
To repair a hole or damaged area by adding a piece of material
64
1.2
Fix something that is broken or torn
41
3.4
Mend a hole or tear by putting a piece of material over it
41
3.9
Build again something that was damaged or destroyed
7
3.7
To fix a building or object so it is usable again
2
5.4
To fix something so it works well again
1
4.1
To sew a seam again to fix it when it comes apart
1
8.2
To fit broken bones or parts back together so they work
1
7.0
To fix a computer system or its data on its own after a failure
To make something old look new by fixing or cleaning it
Antonyms
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Literature
9
7.1
A person who makes news or events look better to influence people's opinions
- Specialized
1
5.4
A university degree that shows you did new research after several years of study
- Specialized
1
7.0
A university degree given after study or to honour someone for important work in law
- Formal
1
9.6
A saint in the Roman Catholic Church honored for important religious teaching and writing
1
5.0
A university degree in science that universities give for important research or as an honor
- Specialized
1
7.1
A high-level degree for study or achievement in arts and humanities
- Specialized
1
8.6
A high university degree in religious study given to senior scholars
- Specialized
1
6.3
A special degree that a university gives to people for work in the fine arts
1
3.0
A doctor who cares for women's health, especially during pregnancy and for the parts used for having babies
1
4.2
A university degree for people who lead public health programs and make health policy
- Specialized
1
8.9
A brightly colored fish with no scales that lives in cold northern waters
- Specialized
1
4.5
A university degree for advanced study and research about teaching and schools
- Specialized
1
8.9
An honorary university degree given for important work in literature or the humanities
- Specialized
1
6.4
An advanced university degree for people who perform, write, or conduct music
The highest university degree in theology given by the Catholic Church
- Specialized
1
5.1
A doctor qualified in osteopathic medicine who can treat patients, prescribe medicine, and perform surgery
- Specialized
1
4.8
A high-level degree for people who test and treat problems with sight
- Specialized
1
6.7
A university degree that shows advanced study or performance in music
- Specialized
1
4.4
A degree dentists receive after dental school that lets them operate on teeth
- Specialized
An honorary university degree given for important work in subjects like history or literature
- Specialized
A brightly colored tropical fish with sharp spines found in the Caribbean
- Archaic
A doctor who treated people with smallpox and other contagious diseases during outbreaks
How Restored
Surface Forms
Etymology
Doctor can also mean to repair or mend something quickly. Think of it as acting like a doctor who makes a quick fix so the item works again, which is why you can 'doctor' a torn dress or a broken chair.