stethoscope

American  

[steth-uh-skohp] / ˈstɛθ əˌskoʊp /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. an instrument used in auscultation to convey sounds in the chest or other parts of the body to the ear of the examiner.

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stethoscope British  

/ ˈstɛθəˌskəʊp, stɛˈθɒskəpɪ, ˌstɛθəˈskɒpɪk /

noun

1. med an instrument for listening to the sounds made within the body, typically consisting of a hollow disc that transmits the sound through hollow tubes to earpieces

2. Also called: obstetric stethoscope.  a narrow cylinder expanded at both ends to recieve and transmit fetal sounds

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stethoscope Cultural  

1. An instrument used in listening to internal body sounds. Most familiarly, physicians and nurses use it to listen to heart sounds.

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Other Word Forms

• stethoscoped adjective
• stethoscopic adjective
• stethoscopist noun
• stethoscopy noun
• unstethoscoped adjective

Etymology

Origin of stethoscope

First recorded in 1810–20; stetho- + -scope

Explanation

A stethoscope is the device that doctors and nurses use to listen to your heartbeat. Many medical workers walk around wearing stethoscopes around their necks. Made up of the Greek stethos, "chest or breast," and the suffix -scope, "an instrument for seeing," the meaning of stethoscope is fairly straightforward. It's an instrument that's used to "see," or more accurately, to hear, inside your chest. During a medical exam, your doctor will listen to your heartbeat and the sound your lungs make as you breathe deeply. Veterinarians use stethoscopes too, for listening to their animal patients' hearts and lungs.

Example Sentences

Noah Wyle, star of the hit medical drama “The Pitt,” is no stranger to sporting a stethoscope around his neck and neither is his mother.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2025

But the impact extended well beyond the stethoscope itself.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2025

“I’ll be replacing your doctor,” said the new man while abruptly applying a cold stethoscope.

From Slate • Mar. 23, 2025

Tubes snarl out of a mask covering his face as a vet tech listens to his chest with a stethoscope.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2024

He was wearing a white coat, and I could see a stethoscope poking out of his pocket.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath