Definition of "surgeon-general" [surgeon-general]

• An officer of high rank in the army or navy service of a country. (noun)

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "By mid-December, Gen. Yaftali, the Afghan army's surgeon-general, was moved out of his job without explanation—after the coalition's commander at the time, Gen. David Petraeus, personally raised the problems at the hospital during a meeting with President Karzai, people familiar with the matter said."
• "Army surgeon-general Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker said that although an MRI is a helpful tool in battlefield care, it is not essential for diagnosis."
• "The recently retired surgeon-general of the British armed forces, Lt Gen Louis Lillywhite, has also warned of the dangers of what he calls the blurring between "neutral humanitarian aid" directed solely at the relief of suffering and '"development aid" intended to give legitimacy to a government."