palpation

[ pal-pey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of examining a person or thing by touch, especially a patient in order to make a diagnosis:

   His belly is distended, and on deep palpation I clearly feel a hard mass in the upper right quadrant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of palpation¹

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Latin palpātiōn-, stem of palpātiō “a stroking, flattery”; palpate ¹( def ), -ion ( def )

Example Sentences

Modern CT scans, for example, perform better than even the best surgeons’ palpation of a painful abdomen in detecting appendicitis.

From Scientific American

Her chest pain had gone away, though during the examination her physician noticed tenderness along her sternum from the palpation exam.

From US News

Osteopathic schools, on the other hand, stress physical diagnosis techniques like palpation or percussion — gently tapping the abdominal area, say, to determine if the size and shape of the liver suggest inflammation.

From New York Times

Brennan’s examination was conducted by the method of palpation the larynx.

From New York Times

Additionally, I had rebound tenderness – pain that is greater when the examiner releases pressure on palpation – which is another indication that I had some type of peritoneal irritation.

From Scientific American

Related Words

• ambience
• atmosphere
• aura
• feeling
• impression
• mood
• quality
• sense
• touch