Death and Doctor Hornbook
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In this satire by Robert Burns "Doctor Hornbook" stands for John Wilson the apothecary, whom the poet met at the Tarbolton Masonic Lodge.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Death and Doctor Hornbook” mean?
In this satire by Robert Burns "Doctor Hornbook" stands for John Wilson the apothecary, whom the poet met at the Tarbolton Masonic Lodge.
Is “Death and Doctor Hornbook” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.