stethoscope

noun
stetho·​scope | \ ˈste-thə-ˌskōp also -t͟hə- How to pronounce stethoscope (audio) \

Definition of stethoscope

: a medical instrument for detecting sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a piece placed upon the area to be examined

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Other Words from stethoscope

stethoscopic \ ˌste-​thə-​ˈskä-​pik How to pronounce stethoscopic (audio) also  -​t͟hə-​ \ adjective

Examples of stethoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But then Auger-Aliassime brought on the trainer, who pulled out a stethoscope to listen to his heart rate; in the third set, Auger-Aliassime visibly began to fade. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, "Félix Auger-Aliassime Is Trying to Stay Calm," 24 Aug. 2019 Nor are buckets of soybeans, wet tarps or stethoscopes. Andrea Domanick, latimes.com, "Arthur King collective transports Iowa farm soundscape to L.A.’s Chinatown," 12 June 2019 Safecrackers of the past put a stethoscope to a safe's panel while turning its dial, listening for the telltale murmurs of the interlocking components inside. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, "How Safecrackers Can Unlock an ATM in Minutes—Without Leaving a Trace," 9 Aug. 2019 The stethoscope might not be broken, but the human doing the counting might space out and miss a beat. Andrea Jones-rooy, Quartz, "I’m a data scientist who is skeptical about data," 24 July 2019 Afterward, the doctor asked the family to use a stethoscope to confirm that Tine’s heart had stopped. Maria Cheng, The Seattle Times, "Belgium investigates doctors who euthanized autistic woman," 27 Nov. 2018 Many researchers say there isn’t definitive proof that germy stethoscopes can make patients sick. Lucette Lagnado, WSJ, "Hospitals Step Up the War on Superbugs," 8 Sep. 2018 The stethoscope revolutionized medicine by providing doctors with auscultatory data on which to base diagnostic and management decisions. Caroline Nelson, Washington Post, "Forget ‘man vs. machine.’ When doctors compete with artificial intelligence, patients lose.," 12 June 2018 Then, as family members watched, Harris put on a stethoscope and listened to Toby's heart beating inside Daniel's chest. Nesa Mangal, Good Housekeeping, "Mother Hears Her Baby's Heart Beat Inside a 2-Year-Old Boy," 18 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stethoscope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of stethoscope

1820, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for stethoscope

French stéthoscope, from Greek stēthos chest + French -scope

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More Definitions for stethoscope

stethoscope

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stethoscope

medical : an instrument that is used for listening to someone's heart or lungs

stethoscope

noun
stetho·​scope | \ ˈste-thə-ˌskōp How to pronounce stethoscope (audio) \

Kids Definition of stethoscope

: a medical instrument used for listening to sounds produced in the body and especially those of the heart and lungs

stethoscope

noun
stetho·​scope | \ ˈsteth-ə-ˌskōp also ˈstet͟h-\

Medical Definition of stethoscope

: an instrument used to detect and study sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a usually cup-shaped piece placed upon the area to be examined

Other Words from stethoscope

stethoscopic \ ˌsteth-​ə-​ˈskäp-​ik also ˌstet͟h-​ \ adjective
stethoscopically \ -​i-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce stethoscopically (audio) \ adverb

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