veterinarian

Pluralveterinarians

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A doctor whose patients are animals rather than people.

   The veterinarian recommended surgery after examining the horse's injured leg.

   Rural communities often struggle to attract veterinarians willing to treat livestock.

   Similarvet

   Note

   Behind the word is a farmyard. Latin veterīnārius meant "cattle doctor" and was built on veterīnae, the beasts of burden and draft animals. That word probably comes from vehō, "to convey, draw," though it may come from vetus, "old." Several other words share the meaning: vet is the everyday clipping, veterinary surgeon the longer title, and animal doctor the plain-English way to say it.

2. 2
   adjective

   Relating to the medical care and treatment of animals.

   Several rural counties in the state have no veterinarian clinic at all.

   The ranch budgets thousands of dollars each year for veterinarian services.

   Similarveterinary

   Note

   Here the noun stands in front of another noun and does the work of veterinary, as in a veterinarian clinic or veterinarian services. The overlap is natural, since veterinarian is itself veterinary plus -an, the ending that turns a field into a person. Used this way, the word simply names the field again. It is not comparable: care is either veterinarian or it is not, with no more or most.

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