noun, plural saw·bones, saw·bones·es. (used with a singular verb)Slang. a surgeon or physician.

What is the word sawbones mean?

sawbones \SAW-bohnz\ noun. slang : physician, surgeon. Examples: "After abandoning his destitute family in 1913, Brinkley bought a medical degree from a 'diploma mill' in St. Louis.

Why is it called sawbones?

"Bones" was a nickname for Doctor Leonard McCoy in multiple realities. The use of "Bones" originates with the term "sawbones" in 19th century American medicine where military doctors, especially surgeons, were called "sawbones" because of all the amputations they had to perform during the Civil War.