chemist

IPA/ˈkemɪst/
KK[kˈɛmɪst]IPA/ˈkemɪst/

chemist — noun

  • chemistsingular
  • chemistsplural

1. someone whose work or research is in the scientific field of chemistry, studying

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose work or research is in the scientific field of chemistry, studying what substances are made of and how they react with each other

Example

Dr. Okonkwo, a chemist at the university, spent years studying how metals react with air.

chemist at [institution] for research contexts

The team of chemists tested water samples from the local river every week.

Common collocations
  • research chemist
  • analytical chemist
  • organic chemist
  • industrial chemist
Synonyms
  • scientist

    broader term — all chemists are scientists, but not all scientists are chemists

  • researcher

    focuses on the investigative role rather than the specific field of chemistry

  • biochemist

    a chemist who specialises in the chemistry of living things

Common Mistakes

I took my prescription to the chemist.' (when meaning a pharmacy professional in a shop).
I took my prescription to the pharmacist.
In British English 'chemist' can refer to either a research scientist or a pharmacy worker, but in American English only the research scientist is called a 'chemist'.

2. a person trained to prepare drugs and give them to customers who need them for m

2.nounB1
Definition

a person trained to prepare drugs and give them to customers who need them for medical treatment

Example

The chemist read the doctor's note and gave Beatriz a bottle of cough medicine.

chemist + prescription: filling a doctor's order

When Tomás had a headache, the chemist suggested a painkiller that worked well.

Common collocations
  • dispensing chemist
  • high-street chemist
  • local chemist
Synonyms
  • pharmacist

    the standard American English term; also common in formal British English

  • dispenser

    focuses on the act of giving out medicines; less common as a job title

Usage Note

This sense is common in British English but rare in American English, where 'pharmacist' is the usual word. 'Chemist' in this sense can also refer to the same person working in a hospital pharmacy.

Common Mistakes

The chemist analyzed the soil sample in the lab.' (when meaning a research scientist).
The chemist prepared my prescription at the pharmacy.
Sense 2 refers specifically to the medicine-preparing professional, not to a research chemist.

3. a place of business where medical items, beauty products, and everyday goods are

3.nounA2
Definition

a place of business where medical items, beauty products, and everyday goods are sold to the public

Example

Noa went to the chemist to buy some plasters for his finger.

There is a chemist on Main Street that sells toothpaste and soap.

chemist on [street/location]: describing where the shop is

Common collocations
  • at the chemist
  • to the chemist
  • the chemist on [street name]
Synonyms
  • pharmacy

    more formal and used in both British and American English

  • drugstore

    the American English equivalent

Usage Note

This sense is used mainly in British English. In American English, the equivalent is 'pharmacy' or 'drugstore'. Unlike American drugstores, British chemists usually do not serve meals or have large food sections.

Common Mistakes

I need to go to the chemist to buy some vegetables.
I need to go to the chemist to buy some medicine.
A chemist sells medical and beauty products, not food (though some sell snacks).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'chemist' is a type of 'scientist' — someone trained in the specific discipline of chemistry. 'Scientist' is the broadest term, covering anyone who studies the natural world through observation and experiment (physicists, biologists, geologists, etc.). A 'researcher' focuses on the act of investigation rather than a specific field: a chemist can be a researcher, but so can a historian or a medical doctor. 'Biochemist' is a narrower specialty — a chemist who works at the intersection of chemistry and biology, studying the chemical processes inside living organisms. For example, a pharmaceutical company may employ both a chemist (to synthesise new compounds) and a biochemist (to test how those compounds affect human cells).

scientist ↗researcher ↗biochemist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chemist shop
  • chemist degree
  • chemist training

Phrases

  • trained as a chemist
  • work as a chemist
  • qualified chemist

Prepositions

  • as a chemist
  • at the chemist
  • to the chemist

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'chemist' comes from the French 'chimiste', which in turn came from the Latin 'chimista', a shortened form of 'alchimista' ('alchemist'). The ultimate root is Greek 'chēmeia' (χημεία), the ancient art of transmuting metals. In the 16th and 17th centuries, as alchemy gradually developed into modern chemistry, the word shifted from referring to alchemists to referring to serious scientific practitioners. The sense of 'person who sells medicines' (a shopkeeper rather than a scientist) appeared in the 18th century in Britain, where chemists often also ran pharmacies.