Meaning & use
veterinarian
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A doctor who is trained and licensed to treat sick or injured animals.
Grammar: Countable noun: a veterinarian, the veterinarian, veterinarians. Often shortened to vet in everyday speech.
Patterns
- a veterinarian for something
- take an animal to a veterinarian
The veterinarian examined the dog's leg and took an X-ray.
She decided to become a veterinarian because she loved animals.
Our cat needs to see a veterinarian about her cough.
Word forms
| plural | veterinarians |
|---|
Common combinations
- licensed veterinarian
- Only a licensed veterinarian can perform that surgery.
- veterinarian clinic
- The veterinarian clinic opens at eight every morning.
- consult a veterinarian
- You should consult a veterinarian before changing your pet's diet.
- veterinarian assistant
- He works as a veterinarian assistant at the animal hospital.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vet
- Informal short form; use vet in conversation, veterinarian in formal writing.
- animal doctor
- Less formal and less common; sounds like a child's word.
Word family
- veterinary adjective
- Relating to the medical care of animals, as in veterinary medicine.
- vet noun
- Informal short form of veterinarian.
Commonly confused: veterinarian or vegetarian?
veterinarian vs vegetarian
A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat; a veterinarian treats animals.
Practice
My rabbit is sneezing, so I'm taking her to the ___ tomorrow.
Choose one answer.
A veterinarian is the doctor who treats animals, so it fits 'taking her to the __'. 'Veterinary' is an adjective and needs a noun after it (veterinary clinic). 'Vegetarian' is a person who avoids meat. 'Vet school' is a place, not a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “veterinarian”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.