oculist

noun

oc·​u·​list ˈä-kyə-list How to pronounce oculist (audio)
1
: ophthalmologist
2
: optometrist

Examples of oculist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And the biggest question hanging over Mozart is whether his teacher’s eminent father was actually murdered by a famous oculist who performed two fateful eye surgeries on him only months before his death. — Talya Zax, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French oculiste, from Latin oculus

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of oculist was in 1598

Rhymes for oculist

See All Rhymes for oculist

Browse Nearby Words

Oculina
oculist
Oculi Sunday
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oculist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oculist. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on oculist

Nglish: Translation of oculist for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oculist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All