ultrasound

ultrasound — noun

1. sound waves at a frequency too high for the human ear to detect, used in medicin

1.nounB2
Definition

sound waves at a frequency too high for the human ear to detect, used in medicine to produce images of the inside of the body and in technologies such as sonar for finding objects underwater

Example

Bats send out pulses of ultrasound to find insects in the dark.

collocation: pulses of ultrasound

Doctors use ultrasound to check whether a patient's heart valves are working properly.

use + ultrasound + to-infinitive for examining body parts

Common collocations
  • pulses of ultrasound
  • use ultrasound
  • ultrasound waves
  • ultrasound technology
  • ultrasound imaging
Synonyms
  • sonography

    strictly refers to the imaging technique using ultrasound, not the waves themselves; more formal and technical

  • ultrasonography

    the full medical name for imaging using ultrasound; very formal, rarely used outside clinical writing

Antonyms
  • infrasound

    sound waves at frequencies below human hearing, the opposite end of the frequency spectrum

Usage Note

Always uncountable when referring to the waves or the general technology. Frequently used as a modifier before another noun (e.g., ultrasound waves, ultrasound therapy, ultrasound equipment).

Common Mistakes

Ultrasonic is used in medical imaging.
Ultrasound is used in medical imaging.
Ultrasonic is an adjective; use ultrasound as the noun for the waves or technology.

2. a medical examination during which organs, a developing baby, or other internal

2.nounB1
Definition

a medical examination during which organs, a developing baby, or other internal body structures are shown as pictures on a screen using very fast sound vibrations

Example

Leila had an ultrasound at twelve weeks to see her baby's heartbeat.

have + an ultrasound + at [time] for pregnancy

The ultrasound showed that Noa's appendix was swollen and needed urgent care.

Common collocations
  • have an ultrasound
  • an ultrasound appointment
  • ultrasound machine
  • ultrasound image
  • ultrasound examination
  • pregnancy ultrasound
Synonyms
  • ultrasound scan

    exactly the same meaning; adds the word 'scan' to make the medical procedure explicit

  • sonogram

    specifically refers to the image produced by an ultrasound, not the procedure itself; commonly used in American English

  • ultrasonography

    the formal medical name for the technique; very technical and rarely used in everyday conversation

Usage Note

Countable in everyday contexts: you have an ultrasound (a single examination). Uncountable when referring to the procedure in general: Ultrasound is a safe imaging method. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 refers to the examination or its result, not the sound waves themselves.

Common Mistakes

I had an ultrasound yesterday and the X-ray showed the baby is fine.
I had an ultrasound yesterday and the scan showed the baby is fine.
Ultrasounds and X-rays use different technology; do not use the terms interchangeably.

Word family

  • ultrasonic
    adjectiveB2
  • ultrasonography
    nounC1
  • sonogram
    nounC1
  • ultrasound scanner
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Ultrasound (sense 2) refers to both the procedure and the resulting image, using sound waves to see inside the body. An ultrasound scan is an exact synonym — the extra word 'scan' makes the medical context clearer. A sonogram is narrower: it means only the image produced by an ultrasound, not the procedure itself (you have an ultrasound, but you look at a sonogram). Ultrasonography is the formal medical term for the technique and rarely appears outside hospital reports. MRI and X-ray are different imaging technologies entirely: MRI uses magnetic fields, and X-ray uses radiation. For pregnancy checks and soft-tissue views, doctors typically recommend ultrasound over X-ray because it carries no known risk. For example, a pregnant patient will schedule an ultrasound (not an X-ray), and the doctor will examine the sonogram for signs of healthy development.

ultrasound scansonogramultrasonographyMRIX-ray

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ultrasound equipment
  • ultrasound technician
  • ultrasound department
  • ultrasound appointment
  • ultrasound result

Phrases

  • have an ultrasound
  • get an ultrasound
  • perform an ultrasound
  • undergo an ultrasound
  • do an ultrasound

Prepositions

  • on ultrasound
  • by ultrasound
  • during an ultrasound
  • for an ultrasound
  • of an ultrasound

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Ultrasound combines the Latin prefix ultra- (meaning 'beyond') with the English word sound. Scientists coined the term in the early 1900s to describe sound waves with frequencies above the range of human hearing. The technology for medical imaging emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, and the word ultrasound came to refer to both the waves and the procedure itself.