dentista

dentist

noun den-TEE-stah Rare

Origin: From Italian dente (tooth) + -ista (agent suffix), modelled on French dentiste.

Usage Note

Dentista is an epicene noun — the same form is used for male and female dentists, but the article changes: il dentista (m) / la dentista (f). The plural is likewise epicene: i dentisti (m/mixed) / le dentiste (f). It belongs to the large class of Italian professions ending in -ista that behave this way.

Examples

"La dentista mi ha consigliato di usare il filo interdentale."

Natural Translation

The dentist advised me to use dental floss.

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