phy|si|cian

phy|si|cian «fuh ZIHSH uhn», noun.

1. a doctor of medicine: »

The physician gave his sick patient some strong medicine.

2. any practitioner of the healing art: »

More needs she the divine than the physician (Shakespeare).

3. a person who cures any one of various maladies or infirmities, as of the soul; healer.

╂[Middle English fisicien < Old French, learned borrowing from Medieval Latin physicus doctor, or physica medical science (in Latin, natural science); see etym. under physic (Cf. ↑physic)]

Usage Physician, in the sense of def. 1, is subject to strict definition under law throughout most of the world today. The usual prerequisites are a successfully completed course of study in an accredited school of medicine, normally followed by a period of internship and oftentimes further examination by some governmental or other official authority preliminary to the granting of a license to engage in the practice of medicine. In Great Britain, the physician is one who practices medicine as distinguished from one who practices surgery (a surgeon).