stethoscope

noun

stetho·​scope ˈste-thə-ˌskōp 

also

-t͟hə- 

: a medical instrument for detecting sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a piece placed upon the area to be examined

stethoscopic

ˌste-thə-ˈskä-pik 

also -t͟hə-

adjective

Examples of stethoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the gut is considered a second brain, the process involves listening in with a stethoscope while manual, hands-on therapy helps the body shift more easily between fight-or-flight and not get stuck in one. — Lydia Bell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026

For those families, Bourland uses a special stethoscope to record a child's heartbeat. — Bo Evans, CBS News, 1 June 2026

AltaMed doctors and medical professionals traded stethoscopes for fliers advertising voting sites and canvassed neighborhoods in Santa Ana ahead of the June 2 primary on Tuesday to connect with residents who had been diagnosed as low-propensity or inconsistent voters. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 29 May 2026

Earlier this month, a children’s hospital in LA launched a new program for at-home asthma monitoring using a wearable smart stethoscope device that enables doctors to virtually and remotely keep track of pediatric breathing metrics. — Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French stéthoscope, from Greek stēthos chest + French -scope

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stethoscope

• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cantaloupe
• cystoscope
• endoscope
• envelope
• epitope
• gyroscope
• horoscope
• isotope
• microscope
• misanthrope

Kids Definition

stethoscope

noun

stetho·​scope ˈsteth-ə-ˌskōp 

also ˈstet͟h-

: a medical instrument used for listening to sounds produced in the body and especially those of the heart and lungs

Medical Definition

stethoscope

noun

stetho·​scope

ˈsteth-ə-ˌskōp also ˈstet͟h-

: an instrument used to detect and study sounds produced in the body that are conveyed to the ears of the listener through rubber tubing connected with a usually cup-shaped piece placed upon the area to be examined

stethoscopic

ˌsteth-ə-ˈskäp-ik also ˌstet͟h-

adjective

stethoscopically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb