Etymology

orthopod

O1R1T1H4O1P3O1D2

Today it means: An orthopaedic surgeon. Full definition →

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The story

Both orthopod and orthoped are of jocular origin in the informal jargon of medicine; the first is a play on -pod (as in gastropod) and the second is a play on -pede (as in centipede). Each trades on the humorous portrayal of colleagues in other specialties (as opposed to one's own specialty) as strange critters (as if odd ducks).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.