Dottore

/dɔˈtɔreɪ/ noun

Definition

An Italian term for a doctor or a learned person with a doctorate degree, sometimes used in English for theatrical or artistic contexts.

Etymology

From Italian and Latin 'doctor,' meaning teacher, from 'docere' (to teach), reflecting how the title originally meant someone who taught knowledge rather than practiced medicine.

Kelly Says

In Italian theater's Commedia dell'arte, 'Il Dottore' was a stock character—a pompous academic, showing how even centuries ago people laughed at pretentious intellectuals using overly complex language.

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