Dŏc'tor1, n.
n. [Lat., from docere, to teach; Fr. docteur, Pr. & Sp. doctor, Pg. doutor, It. dottore.]
Sense 1. One qualified to teach; a teacher; an instructor; a learned man; one skilled in a profession or branch of knowledge; a savant.
Sense 2. One who has received the highest degree in a faculty; one who has received a diploma from a university or college, authorizing him to practice and teach; as, a doctor of divinity, of law, of medicine, of music, of philosophy; — such diplomas being often complimentary, and conferring an honorary title only.
Sense 3. One duly licensed to practice medicine; a physician; one whose occupation it is to treat diseases.
By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death Will seize the doctor too. Shak.
Sense 4. Any mechanical contrivance intended to remedy a difficulty or serve some purpose in an exigency; as, the doctor of a printing machine, which is a knife to remove superfluous coloring matter; an auxiliary steam-engine, — called also donkey-engine.
Doctors' Commons, the college of civilians in London. It was here that until lately, wills were proved, and administration was taken out, under the direction of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.