herb doctor
- noun
- /hɜrb ˈdɑktər/
- After weeks of feeling unwell, she finally visited the herb doctor who specialized in natural healing methods.
Examples
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The herb doctor provided remedies made from local plants to help with her frequent headaches.
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Many people in the village turned to the herb doctor for treatments that were based on traditional herbal medicine.
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Pittsburgh blacks sought the help of spiritualists, crystal gazers, voodoo, or herb doctors.
Academic text (1994) -
He demonstrates other shamanistic skills as an herb doctor, saving Lulu's legs from amputation.
Academic text (1997)
Synonyms
A person who uses plants to make medicine for health
A woman who gathers, uses, or sells plants to make medicines
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a practitioner who treats illnesses with medicinal herbs' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'herb' (medicinal plant) with 'doctor' (a medical practitioner). This noun–noun composition follows a straightforward compositional pattern found across languages (and is synonymous with 'herbalist'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The name herb doctor comes from a simple image: a healer who uses herbs, like roots, leaves and flowers, to make medicine and acts like a doctor for sick people. That's why it means 'a person who treats illness with medicinal plants'.