doctor

noun

1. The title of an academic or medical doctor; used before or instead of the doctor's name.

   “The students asked to see Doctor Jones.”

   “Doctor Smith carried out the medical procedure.”

phrase

Etymology: A backronym from the word doctor.

1. A mnemonic to help remember the difference between the Spanish verbs ser and estar (both meaning "to be"); ser is generally used for: Descriptions, Occupations, Characteristics, Times, Origins, and Relationships.

   “SER is used to classify or identify attributes like, description, occupation, characteristic, time, origin or relationship. The acronym D-O-C-T-O-R could be helpful to remember it.”

   “You can use the acronyms DOCTOR and PLACE to help you remember ser vs. estar, particularly for more specific cases when you’re not sure which verb to use.”

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-der. Proto-Italic *dokeō Latin doceō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin doctorbor. Old French doctur Anglo-Norman doctourder. Middle English doctour English doctor From Middle English doctor, doctour (“an expert, authority on a subject”), from Anglo-Norman doctour, from Latin doctor (“teacher”), from doceō (“to teach”). Displaced native Middle English lerare (“doctor, teacher”) (from Middle English leren (“to teach, instruct”) from Old English lǣran, lēran (“to teach, instruct, guide”), compare Old English lārēow (“teacher, master”)). Displaced Old English lǣċe (“doctor, physician”).

1. To act as a medical doctor to.

   “Her children doctored her back to health.”

2. To act as a medical doctor.

   “2017, "Do No Harm", season 8, episode 2 of Adventure Time Doctor Princess: Put this on. [gives her lab coat to Finn] OK, you're a doctor now. Good luck. Finn: Wait, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! I don't know how to doctor!”

3. To make (someone) into an (academic) doctor; to confer a doctorate upon.
4. To physically alter (medically or surgically) a living being in order to change growth or behavior.

   “They doctored their apple trees by vigorous pruning, and now the dwarfed trees are easier to pick.”

   “We may legally doctor a pet to reduce its libido.”

5. To genetically alter an extant species.

   “Mendel's discoveries showed how the evolution of a species may be doctored.”

6. To alter or make obscure, as with the intention to deceive, especially a document.

   “To doctor the signature of an instrument with intent to defraud is an example of forgery.”

   “That picture – the one that Andrew claimed on BBC’s Newsnight might have been doctored, since he had “no recollection” of then or ever meeting Giuffre at Tramp nightclub in London – will likely serve as both a prequel and postscript of the saga.”

7. To adulterate, drug, or poison (drink).

   “There is no doubt that a few months ago Creake deliberately planned to poison her with some weed-killer. […] The gist of it was that she had the strongest suspicion that Creake doctored a bottle of stout which he expected she would drink for her supper when she was alone.”

8. To take medicine.