Meanings
Origin
A reference to a doctor prescribing treatment to alleviate a patient’s illness, or a course of action (exercise, a healthy diet, relaxation, etc.) that will be beneficial to the patient’s health.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan anar com l'anell al dit
- anar com l'anell al ditexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
Finnish juuri sitä, mitä lääkäri määrää
- juuri sitäexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- mitä lääkäri määrääexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
Russian то, что до́ктор прописа́л
- то, что до́ктор прописа́л (to, što dóktor propisál)exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
Spanish venir de perlas, venir que ni pintado
- venir de perlasexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- venir que ni pintadoexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- venir al peloexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- como anillo al dedoexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- como agua de mayoexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
- mano de santoexactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
Ukrainian те, що лі́кар прописа́в
- те, що лі́кар прописа́в (te, ščo líkar propysáv)exactly what is necessary or useful in a given situation
Cite this entry
APA
what the doctor ordered. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20the%20doctor%20ordered
MLA
“what the doctor ordered.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20the%20doctor%20ordered. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “what the doctor ordered,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20the%20doctor%20ordered.
Source: what the doctor ordered on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.