imaging

1 of 2

noun

im·​ag·​ing ˈi-mi-jiŋ 

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image of something that is not visible to the naked eye (such as internal bodily organs or the Earth's subsurface)

Brain imaging of patients with vascular dementia typically show small strokes or poor blood supply deep in the brain, at the natural terminal … of the blood vessel.

—Renee Meyer

Buried under sand, the layout of a city some 4,000 years old has been revealed before anyone lifted a trowel. To build the map of [the city], … archaeologists used geomagnetic imaging, which measures Earth's magnetic force.

—National Geographic

—often used before another noun

imaging equipment

a thermal imaging camera

A computed tomography scan … is an imaging test that lets doctors see inside a person's body.

—NBCNews.com

see also magnetic resonance imaging

imaging

2 of 2

present participle of image

Examples of imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The process, called cryoablation, uses imaging guidance such as ultrasound or a computed tomography (CT) scan to locate tumors, per a press release shared by the Society of Interventional Radiology late last month. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024

At the first imaging opportunity, LRO was oriented down 43 degrees from its typical position of looking down at the lunar surface to capture Danuri (streaked across the middle) from 3 miles, or 5 kilometers, above it. —Stephen Smith, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024

Above-Average Cameras The Galaxy A25 has three rear imaging components: a 50MP f/1.8 main camera with optical image stabilization, an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens. —PCMAG, 6 Apr. 2024

Video shows the view from the thermal imaging camera and then switches to the rescuer’s point of view. —Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024

The man was seen on the helicopter’s thermal imaging camera clinging to the grave rock face of the cliff. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024

Drones, equipped with AI and thermal imaging cameras, are used to inspect high-voltage lines and hard-to-reach electrical infrastructures. —Neil Sahota, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Single pixel imaging also requires significant computational power, but this could be done well away from the field of view. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

Broadly speaking, there are two types of cancers: solid tumors – or visible tumors that can be seen by the naked eye or through imaging – and liquid tumors, such as blood cancers. —Alexander Olawaiye, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

image entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing imaging

• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Medical Definition

imaging

noun

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image especially of an internal body part or organ

advances in clinical diagnostic imaging

Brain imaging has identified numerous regions of altered structure or activity in the brain during major depression, suggesting disordered neurocircuitry in a variety of structures …

—J. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

—often used before another noun

imaging modalities

The advent of rapid imaging techniques has made magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) an attractive technology in the evaluation of pulmonary vascular disorders.

—Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin

see also magnetic resonance imaging