# surgeon

/ˈsɝdʒən/ (US) · /sˈɜːdʒən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/surgeon
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. medical doctor

noun · CEFR B2

a doctor who performs operations on people or animals.

For teachers: a medical practitioner qualified to perform surgery, involving the physical manipulation or incision of a patient's body.

- The surgeon explained how the operation would fix her broken knee.
- The chief surgeon performed the delicate procedure with remarkable precision, despite the complexity of the patient's underlying condition.

### 2. a type of fish

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a colourful tropical fish that has sharp spines near its tail.

For teachers: any of various tropical marine fishes of the family Acanthuridae, characterised by blade-like spines on either side of the tail.

- We saw a bright blue surgeon swimming near the coral reef.
- Divers often encounter the striped surgeon in these waters, though they must be careful of the sharp spines that give the species its name.

## Examples

- The surgeon successfully removed the patient's appendix.
- After years of intense training, she finally became a lead surgeon at the city hospital.
- The orthopedic surgeon explained that while the procedure was minimally invasive, the recovery period would require several months of dedicated physical therapy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.