auscultation
Auscultation is a fancy-sounding word, but you’ve probably had it done many times. It’s that part of a physical exam when the doctor leans over you with a cold stethoscope and listens to the sounds inside your body.
Auscultation traces back to the Latin word auscultare, meaning “listen.” During auscultation the doctor carefully listens to the sounds made by your heart, lungs, stomach, and intestines. By listening for subtle variations in sound, the doctor can use auscultation to diagnose different illnesses. For example, auscultation can be used to detect abnormalities such as a heart murmur or a wheezing sound in the lungs.
-
listening to sounds within the body (usually with a stethoscope)
-
types:
-
percussion, pleximetry
tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes
-
succussion
shaking a person to determine whether a large amount of liquid is present in a body cavity
-
type of:
-
diagnostic procedure, diagnostic technique
a procedure followed in making a medical diagnosis
-
hearing, listening
the act of hearing attentively
-
percussion, pleximetry
Vocabulary lists containing auscultation
In 29 essays, physician, etymologist, poet, educator, and researcher Lewis Thomas covers a range of topics to illustrate his theme that all living things, including the Earth itself, are interconnected and interdependent.
Look up auscultation for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
