mammogram

noun

mam·​mo·​gram ˈma-mə-ˌgram 

: a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays

also : the procedure for producing a mammogram

Examples of mammogram in a Sentence

She went to the hospital for her yearly mammogram.

Recent Examples on the Web

After getting a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy in February, she was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer. — Ceminthia Graham, Glamour, 24 Sep. 2026

Grail says its Galleri test should be additive to standardized cancer screenings, like colonoscopies and mammograms, and not be used as a replacement. — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026

After her annual mammogram showed abnormalities, Oteri hadn’t initially been concerned. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

The medical service A breast MRI — short for magnetic resonance imaging — is a preventive and diagnostic tool that captures pictures of breast tissue in higher detail than a mammogram. — Lauren Sausser, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin mamma "breast" + -o- + -gram — more at mamma entry 1

Note: The terms mammogram and mammography were introduced by the American physician and surgeon Nymphus Frederick Hicken (1900-98) in "Mammography: roentgenologic diagnosis of breast tumors by means of contrast media," Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, vol. 64 (1937), pp. 593-603.

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mammogram

• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram
• diaphragm
• epigram
• hexagram
• histogram
• hologram
• instagram

Medical Definition

mammogram

noun

mam·​mo·​gram ˈmam-ə-ˌgram 

1

: a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays

2

: the procedure for producing a mammogram