Other forms: veterinarians
A veterinarian is a doctor who treats animals. Dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and occasionally something with feathers.
This is the full American form, and British English almost always says vet, which is short for veterinary surgeon. The training is as long as a human doctor's and covers far more species. A veterinary practice is the business, and a veterinary nurse assists. The word comes from Latin veterinae, meaning working animals, which is where the profession began, long before anybody kept a pet for company.
1nounveterinarianA qualified doctor who treats animals.
“The veterinarian came out to the farm at midnight.”
Also accepted in games: vet
A vet is a doctor for draught animals. Latin veterīnae were the beasts of burden, probably from vehō, to draw or convey, which is the same vehō standing behind vehicle.
Latin
veterīnārius — cattle doctor
English, today
veterinarian
Built from
From Latin veterīnārius (“cattle doctor”) an, from veterīnae (“beasts of burden, draught-”), probably from vehō (“to convey, draw”), or from vetus (“old”). by surface analysis, veterinary + -an.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA