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

Santos’ 4-year-old daughter — and likely countless others — is already excited to don her first stethoscope. —Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 2 Mar. 2026

That their work lies at the intersection of the stethoscope and the pen. —Sayantani Dasgupta february 24, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026

First, the patients each received a standard cardiac exam from their primary care provider using a normal stethoscope. —New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026

Silveira, who has also worked as a nurse at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, competes wearing a helmet with artwork of a Brazilian parrot wearing a stethoscope. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 14 Feb. 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