as in doctor
a person specially trained in healing human medical disorders
a real old-timer who remembers when you could expect a sawbones to make a house call
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Recent Examples of sawbones
Under the Knife 2 continues the story of Dr. Derek Stiles, the brilliant young sawbones from the original game.
—
Earnest Cavalli, WIRED, 1 July 2008
Earnest Cavalli, WIRED, 1 July 2008
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sawbones
Noun
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Minnelli haggled with doctors for extra pills, was left home alone with her infant sister, and once used garden shears to slice open a screen window when Garland locked herself in a bathroom, threatening to overdose.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Gilbert had a few cancer scares in the early 2010s, with the guitarist even getting part of his thyroid removed after doctors discovered some suspicious cells.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mouth breathing during sleep is not something most physicians screen for routinely, which means it often goes unaddressed.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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Brinkmeyer said she was told to stop conducting training for physicians and other staff on best practices for caring for LGBTQ+ patients.—
Vernal Coleman,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sawbones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sawbones. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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