Sawbones
/ˈsɔːˌboʊnz/noun
A surgeon, especially an old-fashioned or informal one.
Did you know?The word started as a rough nickname for military surgeons, and it captures a real historical truth: early surgery often depended on saws, amputations, and speed more than anesthesia.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
sagu
“a saw, a cutting tool”
Old English
OE
ban
“bone”
18th Century
English
saw-bones
“a slang nickname for a surgeon, especially a military one”
19th Century
English
sawbones
“a colloquial term for a surgeon”
Modern English
English
sawbones
“an informal or humorous term for a surgeon”