surgeon
/ˈsəːdʒ(ə)n
/noun
1A medical practitioner qualified to practise surgery.Early group portraits show noble surgeons parading their medical knowledge with elitist pomp....
- Many surgeons working in private practice and in cosmetic clinics would not meet these criteria.
- Patients with jaundice are still most often referred to surgeons, though in practice few require surgery.
1.1A doctor in the navy.
Origin
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French surgien, contraction of Old French serurgien, based on Latin chirurgia, from Greek kheirourgia 'handiwork, surgery', from kheir 'hand' + ergon 'work'.
The key thing about surgeons in terms of word history is that they work with their hands, using manual skill to cure or treat people rather than giving them drugs. Surgeon is a shortening of Old French serurgian, which came via Latin chirurgia from Greek kheirourgia ‘handiwork’, from kheir ‘hand’ and ergon ‘work’. See also work