n. & v.
n. 1 a a qualified practitioner of medicine; a physician. b US a qualified dentist or veterinary surgeon. 2 a person who holds a doctorate (Doctor of Civil Law). 3 colloq. a person who carries out repairs. 4 archaic a teacher or learned man. 5 sl. a cook on board a ship or in a camp. 6 (in full doctor-blade) Printing a blade for removing surplus ink etc. 7 an artificial fishing-fly.
v. colloq. 1 a tr. treat medically. b intr. (esp. as doctoring n.) practise as a physician. 2 tr. castrate or spay. 3 tr. patch up (machinery etc.); mend. 4 tr. adulterate. 5 tr. tamper with, falsify. 6 tr. confer a degree of doctor on. Doctor of the Church any of several early Christian Fathers of the Church. Doctor of Philosophy a doctorate in any faculty except law, medicine, or sometimes theology. go for the doctor Austral. sl. 1 make an all-out effort. 2 bet all one has. what the doctor ordered colloq. something beneficial or desirable. doctorhood n. doctorial adj. doctorly adj. doctorship n.
[ ME f. OF doctour f. L doctor f. docere doct- teach ]