noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:HH AY2 G IY1 N IH0 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:HH AY2 G EH1 N IH0 S T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A person skilled in hygienics, but especially a dental assistant who cleans teeth etc
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a medical specialist in hygiene
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: specialist, medical specialist
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English hygiene Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English hygienist From hygiene + -ist.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
higienista
— person skilled in hygienics
Chinese Mandarin:
保健專家 /保健专家
(bǎojiàn zhuānjiā)
— person skilled in hygienics
Chinese Mandarin:
衛生師 /卫生师
(wèishēngshī)
— person skilled in hygienics
Czech:
hygienik
— person skilled in hygienics
Dutch:
hygiënist
— person skilled in hygienics
Finnish:
hygieenikko
— person skilled in hygienics
Finnish:
hygienisti
— person skilled in hygienics
French:
hygiéniste
— person skilled in hygienics
German:
Hygieniker
— person skilled in hygienics
German:
Hygienikerin
— person skilled in hygienics
German:
Zahnhygieniker
— person skilled in hygienics
German:
Zahnhygienikerin
— person skilled in hygienics
Italian:
igienista
— person skilled in hygienics
Kazakh:
гигиенашы
(gigienaşy)
— person skilled in hygienics