doctor fish

2 definitions found

doctor fish - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Surgeon \Sur"geon\, n. [OE. surgien, OF. surgien, contr. fr.
     chirurgien. See Chirurgeon.]
     1. One whose profession or occupation is to cure diseases or
        injuries of the body by manual operation; one whose
        occupation is to cure local injuries or disorders (such as
        wounds, dislocations, tumors, etc.), whether by manual
        operation, or by medication and constitutional treatment.
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     2. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of chaetodont fishes
        of the family Teuthidae, or Acanthuridae, which have
        one or two sharp lancelike spines on each side of the base
        of the tail. Called also surgeon fish, doctor fish,
        lancet fish, and sea surgeon.
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     Surgeon apothecary, one who unites the practice of surgery
        with that of the apothecary. --Dunglison.
  
     Surgeon dentist, a dental surgeon; a dentist.
  
     Surgeon fish. See def. 2, above.
  
     Surgeon general.
        (a) In the United States army, the chief of the medical
            department.
        (b) In the British army, a surgeon ranking next below the
            chief of the medical department.
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  doctor \doc"tor\, n. [OF. doctur, L. doctor, teacher, fr. docere
     to teach. See Docile.]
     1. A teacher; one skilled in a profession, or branch of
        knowledge; a learned man. [Obs.]
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              One of the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Macciavel. --
                                                    Bacon.
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     2. An academical title, originally meaning a man so well
        versed in his department as to be qualified to teach it.
        Hence: One who has taken the highest degree conferred by a
        university or college, or has received a diploma of the
        highest degree; as, a doctor of divinity, of law, of
        medicine, of music, or of philosophy. Such diplomas may
        confer an honorary title only.
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     3. One duly licensed to practice medicine; a member of the
        medical profession; a physician.
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              By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death
              Will seize the doctor too.            -- Shak.
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     4. Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty
        or serve some purpose in an exigency; as, the doctor of a
        calico-printing machine, which is a knife to remove
        superfluous coloring matter; the doctor, or auxiliary
        engine, called also donkey engine.
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     5. (Zool.) The friar skate. [Prov. Eng.]
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     Doctors' Commons. See under Commons.
  
     Doctor's stuff, physic, medicine. --G. Eliot.
  
     Doctor fish (Zool.), any fish of the genus Acanthurus;
        the surgeon fish; -- so called from a sharp lancetlike
        spine on each side of the tail. Also called barber fish.
        See Surgeon fish.
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