Etymologically
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dentist

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:18. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdɛntɪst/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French dentiste,[2][3][4] from dent (“tooth”) and -iste, from Latin dēns (“tooth”) (stem dent-),[2][4] from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth”).[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

One who treats teeth: 1759 in the OED and Etymonline;[5][2] Merriam-Webster dates it to 1752.[3]

Semantic evolution

The word was at first seen as a French affectation: the Edinburgh Chronicle wrote in 1759 that dentist might do for a French puffer, but that Rutter was content to be called a tooth-drawer.[2][6] Tooth-drawer is attested from the late 14th century.[2]

Timeline

  • late 14th century – tooth-drawer.[2]
  • 1752 – dentist (Merriam-Webster).[3]
  • 1759 – in the Edinburgh Chronicle.[2][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person qualified to treat diseases of the teeth and gums, and to fill, extract or replace teeth.

Word family

  • dentistry

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin