Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who is devoted to a particular occupation or branch of study or research.
  • noun A physician whose practice is limited to a particular branch of medicine or surgery, especially one who is certified by a board of physicians.
  • noun Any of several noncommissioned ranks in the US Army that correspond to that of corporal through sergeant first class.
  • noun A species with narrow habitat or food requirements.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A person who devotes himself to a particular branch of a profession, science, or art; one who has a special knowledge of some particular subject: thus, ophthalmologists, neurologists, or gynecologists are specialists in medicine.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One who devotes himself to some specialty

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective UK Specialised.
  • noun Someone who is an expert in, or devoted to, some specific branch of study or research.
  • noun medicine A physician whose practice is limited to a particular branch of medicine or surgery.
  • noun US, military Any of several non-commissioned ranks corresponding to that of corporal.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an expert who is devoted to one occupation or branch of learning
  • noun practices one branch of medicine

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

specialize +‎ -ist

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Examples

  • In the case of NetizensForBradley. org, the specialist is the young Greg Laynor, who has read all the FEC literature but still concludes that "it's not clear if we're doing something wrong."

    03/03/2005 2005

  • I would like to emphasize what we previously discussed — that looking for a specialist is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way [to embark on a biological - and chemical-weapons program].

    Inside Al-Qaeda’s Hard Drive 2004

  • I would like to emphasize what we previously discussed — that looking for a specialist is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way [to embark on a biological - and chemical-weapons program].

    Inside Al-Qaeda’s Hard Drive 2004

  • I would like to emphasize what we previously discussed — that looking for a specialist is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way [to embark on a biological - and chemical-weapons program].

    Inside Al-Qaeda’s Hard Drive 2004

  • Smith: The word 'specialist' has a legal meaning in veterinary medicine, and it applies to veterinarians who have received further training and are "board certified" -- the number of vets who are board certified in working with exotics, reptiles, amphibians or birds is very small, but if you can find one, that's great!

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • And its previous surfacing of Afghan war documents, which an Army specialist is suspected of leaking, did not reveal "any sensitive intelligence sources and methods," according to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

    NYU library acquires the papers of Philip Agee, renegade spy Jeff Stein 2010

  • Dr Anderson geriatric specialist is well known for her physician home care program over the past 10 years seeing real patients that reduces costs by 75% and increases quality of care.

    Wonk Room » NRCC Luring Doctors To Oppose Reform By Pretending To ‘Honor’ Them 2009

  • Comment: Dr Anderson, family medicine and geriatric specialist, is well known for her physician home care program that reduces costs by 75% and increases quality of care.

    Wonk Room » NRCC Luring Doctors To Oppose Reform By Pretending To ‘Honor’ Them 2009

  • You need to see a vein specialist to get the cause treated.

    Hurst Lot | SciFi, Fantasy & Horror Collectibles 2009

  • And its previous surfacing of Afghan war documents, which an Army specialist is suspected of leaking, did not reveal "any sensitive intelligence sources and methods," according to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

    NYU library acquires the papers of Philip Agee, renegade spy Jeff Stein 2010

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