Meaning & use
chiropody
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableBritishmedical
the branch of medicine that deals with the feet and their disorders
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'chiropody is a useful service', not 'a chiropody'.
Patterns
- study chiropody
- practice chiropody
- a chiropody clinic
She decided to train in chiropody after working as a nurse.
Chiropody can help people with diabetes manage foot problems.
The hospital offers chiropody services for elderly patients.
noununcountableBritishmedical
the professional care and treatment of people's feet
Grammar: Uncountable: often used before another noun, as in 'chiropody treatment'.
Patterns
- have chiropody
- need chiropody
- chiropody treatment
He has chiropody once a month to keep his toenails healthy.
After the accident, she needed regular chiropody to relieve pain.
Many older people rely on chiropody to stay mobile.
Common combinations
- chiropody clinic
- The chiropody clinic is open on Tuesdays.
- chiropody treatment
- He received chiropody treatment for an ingrown toenail.
- chiropody service
- The local health center provides a chiropody service.
- study chiropody
- She plans to study chiropody at university.
Synonyms and how they differ
- podiatry
- The American equivalent; it is the more common term in the US and in international medical contexts.
- podology
- A rarer term for the study of the feet; not used in everyday speech.
Word family
- chiropodist noun
- A person who treats foot problems.
- chiropodial adjective
- Relating to chiropody (rare).
Commonly confused: chiropody or chiropractic?
chiropody vs chiropractic
Chiropractic treats the spine and joints, not the feet; chiropody is specifically about foot care.
Practice
In British English, a person who treats foot problems is called a ___.
Choose one answer.
'Chiropodist' is the British term for a foot-care specialist. 'Chiropractor' treats the spine, 'chiropody' is the field itself, and 'podiatrist' is the American equivalent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chiropody”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.