endoscope

noun

en·​do·​scope ˈen-də-ˌskōp 

: an illuminated usually fiber-optic flexible or rigid tubular instrument for visualizing the interior of a hollow organ or part (such as the bladder or esophagus) for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes that typically has one or more channels to enable passage of instruments (such as forceps or scissors)

endoscopy

en-ˈdä-skə-pē 

noun

Did you know?

The Greek prefix endo- means "within, inside", so around 1860 an early crude instrument for looking deep inside the body was named the endoscope. But modern endoscopy required the invention of the electric lightbulb and then fiber-optic cable, so the first modern endoscopes date only to 1967. An endoscope may be inserted through a natural passageway (for example, through the nose or down the esophagus) or through a tiny cut in the skin. A tiny camera with a light at the end of the cable sends back images onto a screen, and the surgeon uses special instruments that work through a tube alongside the cable. There are now specialized types of endoscopes for every part of the body, where they can take tissue samples, cut out small growths, or remove foreign objects.

Examples of endoscope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Probing with an endoscope, the doctors visualized a worm at the point where the common bile duct joins with the pancreatic bile duct at the entrance to the small intestine. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 31 Aug. 2023

These cables—similar to the imaging cables in some endoscopes—contain a bundle of fiber cores that line up with the on-chip arrays, giving each microLED its own light path. —IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2022

With that in mind, some doctors might imagine an accelerator that is small enough to insert inside the body via an endoscope. —Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023

Then, to find out exactly which neurons the amphetamines were interacting with, his team implanted small endoscopes into each mouse’s brain and rigged tiny 2-gram microscopes to peer through the endoscopes. —WIRED, 7 Aug. 2023

For endoscopic surgery, there will also be a rigid fiberoptic scope called an endoscope that delivers live images to a video monitor. —Stuart Hershman, Verywell Health, 27 June 2023

The heel spurs can then be cut away in a secondary procedure, flush to the bone.3 Endoscopic reduction: For this procedure, a tiny incision (usually about an inch in length) is made on the side of the heel to insert the endoscope. —Stuart Hershman, Verywell Health, 27 June 2023

Finally, the monkeys could acquire the use of sensory tool-a sort of endoscope attached to a rake-to explore the experimental space to find and retrieve the food. —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2011

The researchers noted that a portable imaging system in the form of an endoscope could be ready in the next two years. —Jennifer Welsh, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2010

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

endoscope

noun

en·​do·​scope ˈen-də-ˌskōp 

: a tubular medical instrument that allows the interior of a hollow organ or body part to be seen

endoscopic

ˌen-də-ˈskäp-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

endoscope

noun

en·​do·​scope ˈen-də-ˌskōp 

: an illuminated usually fiber-optic flexible or rigid tubular instrument for visualizing the interior of a hollow organ or part (as the bladder or esophagus) for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes that typically has one or more channels to enable passage of instruments (as forceps or scissors)

endoscopy

en-ˈdäs-kə-pē 

noun

plural endoscopies