vet
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a doctor who treats animals when they are sick or injured.
n.a veterinarian or veterinary surgeon. Often used as a clipped form in general register.
Simple“We had to take the cat to the vet because she stopped eating.”
In context“The local vet recommended a specialized diet to manage the golden retriever's joint inflammation and overall weight.”
Synonymsveterinariananimal doctor - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.someone who used to be in the army, navy, or air force.
n.a veteran; a person who has served in the armed forces. Primarily an American English clipping.
Simple“My grandfather is a navy vet who served during the war.”
In context“The organization provides housing assistance and career counseling for homeless vets returning from overseas deployments.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to check someone or something carefully to make sure they are suitable for a job.
v.to subject a person or document to a thorough examination or evaluation, typically for the purpose of security or professional approval.
Simple“The company will vet all new employees before they start working with sensitive data.”
In context“The committee spent several weeks vetting the candidates' financial backgrounds to ensure there were no potential conflicts of interest.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb and always requires a direct object.
Synonyms
Clipping of veterinarian.
Clipping of veteran.
Possibly by analogy from Etymology 1, in the sense of "verifying the soundness [of an animal]"
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.