Meaning & use
dermatology
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The medical specialty that deals with the skin, hair, and nails, including their diseases and treatment.
Grammar: Uncountable; no plural and no 'a'. Say 'a branch of dermatology', not 'a dermatology'.
Patterns
- study dermatology
- a department of dermatology
- specialize in dermatology
After medical school, she chose dermatology because she liked seeing patients in a clinic.
The hospital opened a new dermatology unit last spring.
He is doing research in dermatology at a university hospital.
noununcountabletechnical
The skin and its related structures considered as a subject of medical study.
Grammar: Used in academic contexts: 'the dermatology of aging skin'.
Patterns
- the dermatology of something
The textbook covers the dermatology of common infections.
Her lecture was on the dermatology of the elderly.
Common combinations
- clinical dermatology
- He teaches clinical dermatology to third-year students.
- pediatric dermatology
- Pediatric dermatology focuses on skin problems in children.
- a dermatology clinic
- She has an appointment at the dermatology clinic on Friday.
- the dermatology department
- The dermatology department is on the fourth floor.
- a dermatology consultation
- The rash was serious enough to need a dermatology consultation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- skin medicine
- A plain, non-technical way to say it; 'dermatology' is the standard term in hospitals and exams.
Word family
- dermatologist noun
- A doctor who specializes in skin conditions.
- dermatological adjective
- Relating to dermatology or the skin.
- dermatologic adjective
- A shorter, mainly American variant of 'dermatological'.
Commonly confused: dermatology or dermatologist?
dermatology vs dermatologist
A dermatologist is the doctor; dermatology is the field. You see a dermatologist, but you study dermatology.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'dermatology' correctly.
Choose one answer.
Dermatology is the field of medicine, so you specialize in it. Option A needs 'dermatologist' (the doctor), option C would need a plural countable noun, and option D would need 'skin condition' or 'rash'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dermatology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.