Meaning & use
podiatrist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemedical
A health professional who diagnoses and treats problems of the feet and ankles, such as sores, ingrown nails and sports injuries.
Grammar: Refers to a person: see a podiatrist.
Patterns
- see a podiatrist
- a podiatrist for something
She made an appointment with a podiatrist for her heel pain.
The podiatrist recommended special insoles for the runner.
A podiatrist can help people with diabetes protect their feet.
nouncountablespecialist
A specialist whose work includes foot surgery or caring for foot conditions in older adults and athletes.
Grammar: In some countries a podiatrist may perform surgery.
Patterns
- work as a podiatrist
He trained for four years to work as a podiatrist.
The podiatrist at the sports clinic treats many marathon runners.
A podiatrist operated on her toe after the injury.
Word forms
| plural | podiatrists |
|---|
Common combinations
- see a podiatrist
- You should see a podiatrist about that sore toe.
- consult a podiatrist
- Runners often consult a podiatrist about their shoes.
- qualified podiatrist
- A qualified podiatrist can treat fungal nails.
- visit a podiatrist
- I visit a podiatrist every year.
- sports podiatrist
- The club hired a sports podiatrist.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chiropodist
- Chiropodist is the older British term for the same job, but podiatrist is now more common.
- foot doctor
- Foot doctor is the everyday phrase that describes the job plainly.
- orthopedist
- An orthopedist treats bones and joints of the whole body, not just feet.
- orthotist
- An orthotist designs braces and supports and does not diagnose foot disease.
Word family
- podiatry noun
- the study and treatment of foot problems
- podiatric adjective
- relating to the care of the feet
- podiatrists noun
- more than one such specialist
- pediatrician noun
- a children's doctor; do not confuse
Commonly confused: podiatrist or pediatrician?
podiatrist vs pediatrician
A pediatrician treats children, not feet, though the words look similar.
Practice
After months of heel pain from running, she finally booked an appointment with a ____.
Choose one answer.
A podiatrist treats foot and ankle problems such as heel pain. A dermatologist treats skin, a pediatrician treats children, and an optician deals with eyes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “podiatrist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.