colonoscopy

noun

co·​lo·​nos·​co·​py ˌkō-lə-ˈnä-skə-pē 

plural colonoscopies

: endoscopic examination of the colon

colonoscope

kō-ˈlä-nə-ˌskōp 

noun

Examples of colonoscopy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If symptoms are present, the colonoscopy is classified as diagnostic rather than screening and is covered differently by insurance. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

In 2024, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts proposed deeming anesthesia during colonoscopies medically unnecessary. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2026

For people with symptoms, a colonoscopy is classified as diagnostic rather than screening, which affects how insurance covers the procedure. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

How a colonoscopy actually works A doctor guides a long, flexible tube with a tiny video camera through the colon. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing colonoscopy

• virtual colonoscopy

Rhymes for colonoscopy

• laparoscopy
• arthroscopy
• fluoroscopy
• spectroscopy

Medical Definition

colonoscopy

noun

co·​lo·​nos·​co·​py ˌkō-lə-ˈnäs-kə-pē  ˌkäl-ə- 

plural colonoscopies

: endoscopic examination of the colon

transabdominal colonoscopy with a sigmoidoscope via colotomy

colonoscopic

kō-ˌlän-ə-ˈskäp-ik 

adjective