surgeon, surgien, surgen, surgeyn, surgion

[A corrupt. of chirurgeon (q. v.), from O. Fr. cirurgien, cerurgien.] 1. Ord. Lang.: One who practices surgery; in a more limited sense, one who cures diseases or injuries of the body by operating manually upon the patient. In a more general sense, one whose occupation is to treat diseases or injuries by medical appliances, whether internal or external. Surgeon - general : In the United States army the chief of the medical department. In the British army a surgeon ranking next below the chief of the medical department. 2. Ichthy .: A popular name for any species of the genus Acanth urus, from the sharp, erectile, lancet shaped spine with which each side of the tail is armed. In the early stages of their growth these fish are so different from the fully-developed individuals, that for some time the young fish were placed in a separate genus, Acronurus. (See extract.) "Surgeons occur in all tropical seas, with the exception of the eastern part of the Pacific, where they disappear with the corals. They do not attain to any size, the largest species scarcely exceeding a length of eighteen inches, Many are agreeably or showily colored, the ornamental colors being distributed in very extraordinary patterns. The larger species are eatable, and some even esteemed as food."-Günther: Study of Fishes, p. 439.