tomography

noun

to·​mog·​ra·​phy tō-ˈmä-grə-fē How to pronounce tomography (audio)
: a method of producing a three-dimensional image of the internal structures of a solid object (such as the human body or the earth) by the observation and recording of the differences in the effects on the passage of waves of energy impinging on those structures compare computed tomography
tomographic adjective

Examples of tomography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sources The 3-D lung visualizations were created from reconstructed computerized tomography (C.T.) scans that calculated tissue density. Hang Do Thi Duc, New York Times, 31 May 2023 By capturing a large number of muons passing through something, researchers can reconstruct an image of it, a technique known as muon tomography, also known as muography. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Nov. 2022 First, take a 3D scan of the scroll using x-ray tomography, the same technology as that used for a CT scan. Will Henshall, TIME, 21 Oct. 2023 When lung cancer is caught this early, it is usually seen on a computed tomography (CT) scan for annual lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals.4 By definition, stage 0 NSCLC is limited to the lining of the airways and has not spread into the lungs. Doru Paul, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2023 Those rocks will be scanned using X-ray and computerized tomography at the University of Utah South Jordan Health Center before being studied further at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm by laboratory and collections crew volunteers. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2023 One such find, from ancient deposits in Colorado, contains parts of a jawless fish that a new study has scanned with modern X-ray tomography. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023 One was a study using positron emission tomography — PET scans — that showed different areas of the brain were associated with each form of memory. Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023 Regardless, my younger years of careless living came at a price, and evidence from my first coronary calcium scan (CCS), which is a special computerized tomography scan of the heart that looks for calcium deposits in the heart arteries, showed that my arteries were clogging and calcifying. Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 8 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tomography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek tomos section + International Scientific Vocabulary -graphy — more at tome

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tomography was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near tomography

Cite this Entry

“Tomography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomography. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

tomography

noun
to·​mog·​ra·​phy tō-ˈmäg-rə-fē How to pronounce tomography (audio)
plural tomographies
: a method of producing a three-dimensional image of the internal structures of a solid object (as the human body) by the observation and recording of the differences in the effects on the passage of waves of energy impinging on those structures

called also stratigraphy

see computed tomography, positron-emission tomography
tomographic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on tomography

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!