medical examiner

1. A physician, usually a pathologist, who is officially authorized to determine the cause of suspicious or unusual deaths.

2. A physician who performs physical examinations to determine whether people are healthy enough to perform certain roles, such as military service, or whether people qualify for life insurance or disability compensation.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

medical examiner

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) chiefly US a medical expert, usually a physician, employed by a state or local government to determine the cause of sudden death in cases of suspected violence, suicide, etc. Compare coroner

2. (Medicine) a physician who carries out medical examinations

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

med′ical exam`iner

1. a government official who performs autopsies of bodies to determine the cause of death.

2. a physician retained by an insurance company, industrial firm, or the like, to give medical examinations to its clients or employees.

[1840–50]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

medical examiner - a public official who investigates by inquest any death not due to natural causes

coroner

investigator - someone who investigates

Translations

medical examiner

n (Am) → medico legale

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in periodicals archive

An autopsy is pending, according to the medical examiner's office.

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While the Honolulu Medical Examiner's office has already been able to identify nine victims, two others - including the pilot - have yet to be identified.

Filipino among those killed in Hawaii plane crash incident

Law enforcement sources, as well as individuals who work for the medical examiner, had previously told DailyMail.com that Salling's body was hanging from a tree when it was discovered and that the death was being investigated as a suicide.

Mark Salling autopsy report fails to confirm that actor committed suicide

"The medical examiner took jurisdiction of the case and will work on identification," she said.

Body found inside vehicle in parking lot

The consultation also asks for responses on a fee to be charged for the medical examiner's service.

Opinions sought on death certificate reforms

The report, which was signed by Quinn Strobl, the office's chief medical examiner, included only the manner and cause of death and the office said that all other medical examiner data is considered nonpublic under Minnesota state law.

It's official: Opioid overdose caused Prince's death

The 57-year-old star's death was ruled an "accident," caused by an overdose of fetanyl, a powerful opioid used to treat pain, the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement on Thursday.

Pop star Prince died of opioid painkiller overdose

It followed the medical examiner's office changing its ruling that his six-month-old son had died from head injuries caused by shaking, saying the cause of death could not be determined.

SECOND U-TURN ON CHILD shaking in under a year

However, an Egyptian medical examiner who performed the autopsy told judges yesterday that it was simply "not possible" for someone to kill themselves in this way.

'Suicide stabbing' claims refuted

The medical examiner's office said the woman had died on October 5.

Ravine body is missing actress Misty