x-rayed; x-raying; x-rays
often capitalized
: to examine, treat, or photograph with X-rays
1
: any of the electromagnetic radiations that have an extremely short wavelength of less than 100 angstroms and have the properties of penetrating various thicknesses of all solids, of producing secondary radiations by impinging on material bodies, and of acting on photographic films and plates as light does
2
: a photograph obtained by use of X-rays
X-ray
adjective
Examples of Xray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
The family wrapped the dog in a blanket and took him to a veterinary office — where x-rays revealed he had been shot in the head, right between the eyes, and one of the bullets was lodged in his throat, Tamllos said.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2024
The real heroes, however, were the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that were x-rayed before fitment to ensure perfect structural integrity.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Among them are essential medical supplies: anesthesia machines and anesthetics, crutches, generators, ventilators, x-ray machines and oxygen cylinders.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
An Italian team had hoped to make history by using high-tech tools — electron microscopy, spectroscopy and micro x-rays — to reveal the cellular structure of one of the world’s oldest reptiles.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
The Medical Exams Since 1987, doctors with IU Health, a healthcare system affiliated with Indiana University School of Medicine, perform x-rays, MRIs, echocardiograms, EKGs, blood and drug tests, and other exams at each year’s Combine.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
In 2020, the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri posted a video on Facebook in which Dr. Chris Hanley, assistant director of animal health, said one of the zoo's alligators had what appeared to be, based on x-rays, a coin inside her stomach.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024
The archaeologists took x-rays of the skeletons in the tombs and compared them to detailed descriptions about the Macedonian royals, including height, weight, injuries and physical anomalies, according to Live Science.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2024
Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
These tests can include chest X-rays, swabbing the inside of the mouth or nose, pulse oximetry to detect levels of oxygen and blood tests.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Apr. 2024
In addition to examining your knee, the physician may order additional X-rays or an MRI as an to help establish the type and degree of injury.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
That’s when Herman Miller brought on the American designer Bill Stumpf, who’d worked with medical experts while doing postgraduate research at the University of Wisconsin to conduct studies on ideal sitting posture that incorporated X-rays and time-lapse photography.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
These regions emit an extraordinary range of brightness, spanning from radio waves to X-rays.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024
New safety guidelines from the American Dental Association say the practice can stop, because X-ray technologies have evolved significantly and there are better ways to reduce patients’ exposure to radiation, such as using digital rather than conventional X-ray film.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2024
Given their translucent or jelly-like nature, the beads are hard to detect through imaging and X-rays.
—Kristina Behr, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
Her case data, dental X-rays and description of her were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2011, state police said.
—Zenebou Sylla, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Verb
Regardless of what is causing the shortage of medical assistants, nurses, x-ray technicians and other health care workers, Bera said, representatives of major Sacramento-area health systems have come to him seeking assistance in solving it.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
The family wrapped the dog in a blanket and took him to a veterinary office — where x-rays revealed he had been shot in the head, right between the eyes, and one of the bullets was lodged in his throat, Tamllos said.
—Brooke Baitinger, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2024
The real heroes, however, were the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that were x-rayed before fitment to ensure perfect structural integrity.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
Among them are essential medical supplies: anesthesia machines and anesthetics, crutches, generators, ventilators, x-ray machines and oxygen cylinders.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024
An Italian team had hoped to make history by using high-tech tools — electron microscopy, spectroscopy and micro x-rays — to reveal the cellular structure of one of the world’s oldest reptiles.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024
The Medical Exams Since 1987, doctors with IU Health, a healthcare system affiliated with Indiana University School of Medicine, perform x-rays, MRIs, echocardiograms, EKGs, blood and drug tests, and other exams at each year’s Combine.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
In 2020, the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri posted a video on Facebook in which Dr. Chris Hanley, assistant director of animal health, said one of the zoo's alligators had what appeared to be, based on x-rays, a coin inside her stomach.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 19 Feb. 2024
The archaeologists took x-rays of the skeletons in the tombs and compared them to detailed descriptions about the Macedonian royals, including height, weight, injuries and physical anomalies, according to Live Science.
—Brie Stimson, Fox News, 17 Feb. 2024
Noun
That 2017 event marked the first time astronomers had all of the necessary pieces of information to confirm predictions about the merging of neutron stars and the production of gravitational waves followed by signals in gamma rays, X-rays, optical and infrared light.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
These tests can include chest X-rays, swabbing the inside of the mouth or nose, pulse oximetry to detect levels of oxygen and blood tests.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 7 Apr. 2024
In addition to examining your knee, the physician may order additional X-rays or an MRI as an to help establish the type and degree of injury.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
That’s when Herman Miller brought on the American designer Bill Stumpf, who’d worked with medical experts while doing postgraduate research at the University of Wisconsin to conduct studies on ideal sitting posture that incorporated X-rays and time-lapse photography.
—Evan Moffitt, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
These regions emit an extraordinary range of brightness, spanning from radio waves to X-rays.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024
New safety guidelines from the American Dental Association say the practice can stop, because X-ray technologies have evolved significantly and there are better ways to reduce patients’ exposure to radiation, such as using digital rather than conventional X-ray film.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2024
Given their translucent or jelly-like nature, the beads are hard to detect through imaging and X-rays.
—Kristina Behr, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
Her case data, dental X-rays and description of her were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System in 2011, state police said.
—Zenebou Sylla, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Xray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near Xray
Cite this Entry
“Xray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Xray. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
x-ray
1 of 2 verbˈeks-ˌrā
often capitalized X
: to examine, treat, or photograph with X-rays
X-ray
2 of 2 nounˈeks-ˌrā
1
: an electromagnetic radiation of an extremely short wavelength that is able to penetrate various thicknesses of solids and to act on photographic film as light does
2
: a photograph taken by the use of X-rays
X-ray
adjective
Etymology
Noun
from German X-Strahl "X-ray," from the use of x to represent an unknown value
Word Origin
In 1895, a German scientist, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, was experimenting with an electric current passing through a vacuum in a glass tube. He found that a piece of material that glows only when electricity passes through it began to glow even though it was not inside the tube. Röntgen tried to shield the material from the tube. However, he found that the material glowed even when it was shielded by paper or wood. Only a shield of metal stopped the glowing. He guessed that an unknown invisible ray created inside the glass tube was causing this to happen. Since he knew nothing about this mysterious ray, Röntgen called it X-Strahl in German, which translates as X-ray in English. He was using the letter x, which had long been used in mathematics for an unknown value.
Medical Definition
x-ray
1 of 2 transitive verboften capitalized X
: to examine, treat, or photograph with X-rays
X-ray
2 of 2 noun1
: any of the electromagnetic radiations of the same nature as visible radiation but of an extremely short wavelength less than 100 angstroms that is produced by bombarding a metallic target with fast electrons in vacuum or by transition of atoms to lower energy states and that has the properties of ionizing a gas upon passage through it, of penetrating various thicknesses of all solids, of producing secondary radiations by impinging on material bodies, of acting on photographic films and plates as light does, and of causing fluorescent screens to emit light
called also roentgen ray
2
: a photograph obtained by use of X-rays
a chest X-ray
X-ray
adjective
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