[dok-ter-it] 
| 1. | Also called doctorate. the highest degree awarded by a graduate school, usually to a person who has completed at least three years of graduate study and a dissertation approved by a board of professors. |
| 2. | a person who has been awarded this degree. Abbreviation: Ph.D. |
| 1. | any of several academic degrees of the highest rank, as the Ph.D. or Ed.D., awarded by universities and some colleges for completing advanced work in graduate school or a professional school. |
| 2. | an honorary degree conferring the title of doctor upon the recipient, as with the LL.D. degree. |
| 3. | a degree awarded to a graduate of a school of medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science. |
| doc·tor·ate (dŏk'tər-ĭt) n. The degree or status of a doctor as conferred by a university. |
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