Veterinary means having to do with the medical care of animals. A veterinary surgeon, veterinary medicine, veterinary school.
In Britain the full title is veterinary surgeon, shortened to vet, and it is a protected title requiring a five-year degree. Veterinary medicine covers pets, farm animals and wildlife, and the range of species is what makes it harder than it looks. Note veterinarian, which is the American noun; and that the word comes from the Latin for a working beast, so the profession is named after cattle rather than after pets.
1adjectiveveterinaryHaving to do with the medical care of animals.
“Veterinary school takes about five years and nine species.”
veterinary is a quality relating to animal medicine.
Latin veterinarius means relating to beasts of burden, from veterinae, cattle and draught animals. The profession began with working animals, and the pets arrived about eighteen centuries later.
Latin
veterīnārius
English, today
veterinary
Built from
From Latin veterīnārius, from veterīnus and veterīnae (“cattle;"beasts of burden/of draught"”); compare with veterinarian.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA