: 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
Renee MeyerBuried 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 nounNational Geographicimaging 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
NBCNews.comimaging
2 of 2present participle of image
Examples of imaging in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebBrian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Oct. 2023
However, imaging electron motion directly inside atoms is currently challenging, though researchers are developing several approaches using advanced microscopes to make direct imaging possible.
—Niranjan Shivaram, The Conversation, 4 Oct. 2023
The towers were outfitted with machine guns and cameras, both connected to the border’s thermal imaging sensors and to optical and radar detection systems.
—Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
The team's approach combined digital scanning with micro-computed tomography—a noninvasive technique often used for cancer imaging—with segmentation to digitally create pages, augmented with texturing and flattening techniques.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 16 Oct. 2023
Today quantum dots are commonly used in electronics displays and biomedical imaging.
—David Keyton, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2023
Satellite imaging from the Conflict Observatory at Yale University is providing harrowing insight and crucial information about the devastation wrought in the city of Khartoum by Sudan’s civil war.
—WIRED, 30 Sep. 2023
Law enforcement’s big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Danelo Souza Cavalcante’s heat signal, allowing teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him, and move in with search dogs.
—Maryclaire Dale, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Both models can be outfitted with a wide range of equipment, from cameras and sonars to robotic arms and imaging tools.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2023
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Noun
The cutting-edge imaging facility’s Extremely Brilliant Source can analyze objects in detail with X-rays 100 billion times brighter than those commonly found in hospitals.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Oct. 2023
However, imaging electron motion directly inside atoms is currently challenging, though researchers are developing several approaches using advanced microscopes to make direct imaging possible.
—Niranjan Shivaram, The Conversation, 4 Oct. 2023
The towers were outfitted with machine guns and cameras, both connected to the border’s thermal imaging sensors and to optical and radar detection systems.
—Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
The team's approach combined digital scanning with micro-computed tomography—a noninvasive technique often used for cancer imaging—with segmentation to digitally create pages, augmented with texturing and flattening techniques.
—Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 16 Oct. 2023
Today quantum dots are commonly used in electronics displays and biomedical imaging.
—David Keyton, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2023
Satellite imaging from the Conflict Observatory at Yale University is providing harrowing insight and crucial information about the devastation wrought in the city of Khartoum by Sudan’s civil war.
—WIRED, 30 Sep. 2023
Law enforcement’s big break came overnight as a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up Danelo Souza Cavalcante’s heat signal, allowing teams on the ground to secure the area, surround him, and move in with search dogs.
—Maryclaire Dale, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2023
Both models can be outfitted with a wide range of equipment, from cameras and sonars to robotic arms and imaging tools.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'imaging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing imaging
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Cite this Entry
“Imaging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imaging. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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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 nounJ. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicineimaging 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
Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin
More from Merriam-Webster on imaging
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for imaging
Nglish: Translation of imaging for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of imaging for Arabic Speakers
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