stethoscope

American  

[steth-uh-skohp] / ˈstɛθ əˌskoʊp /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

• stethoscopes
  plural

1. an instrument used in auscultation to convey sounds in the chest or other parts of the body to the ear of the examiner.

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stethoscope British  

/ ˈstɛθəˌskəʊp /

noun

1. med an instrument for listening to the sounds made within the body, typically consisting of a hollow disc that transmits the sound through hollow tubes to earpieces

2. Also called: obstetric stethoscope. a narrow cylinder expanded at both ends to recieve and transmit fetal sounds

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stethoscope Cultural  

1. An instrument used in listening to internal body sounds. Most familiarly, physicians and nurses use it to listen to heart sounds.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stethoscopist
  noun
• stethoscopy
  noun
• stethoscoped
  adjective
• stethoscopic
  adjective
• unstethoscoped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stethoscopes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stethoscope

First recorded in 1810–20; stetho- + -scope

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Explanation

A stethoscope is the device that doctors and nurses use to listen to your heartbeat. Many medical workers walk around wearing stethoscopes around their necks. Made up of the Greek stethos, "chest or breast," and the suffix -scope, "an instrument for seeing," the meaning of stethoscope is fairly straightforward. It's an instrument that's used to "see," or more accurately, to hear, inside your chest. During a medical exam, your doctor will listen to your heartbeat and the sound your lungs make as you breathe deeply. Veterinarians use stethoscopes too, for listening to their animal patients' hearts and lungs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stethoscope stethoscopes

Dr. Michel Accad placed a stethoscope in the crook of my arm and pumped up the blood-pressure cuff around my right biceps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

At the beginning of the experiment, each participant lay quietly while the researchers recorded one minute of baseline BS using an electronic stethoscope and advanced signal-processing software.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026

The 39-year-old admits it has been a "steep learning curve" as he swaps out the set pieces for the stethoscope in his new role at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025

Noah Wyle, star of the hit medical drama “The Pitt,” is no stranger to sporting a stethoscope around his neck and neither is his mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025

Lucy’s heart beat a trifle more audibly to the stethoscope, and her lungs had a perceptible movement.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Now, it is teeming with young healthcare professionals in scrubs and stethoscopes waiting for patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Abnormal heartbeat patterns, which have no symptoms but can increase stroke risk, were 3.5 times more detectable with the AI stethoscopes, while heart valve disease was 1.9 times more detectable.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025

The center has a medical booth and a more private exam room with two stethoscopes hanging on the wall.

From Washington Times ● May 22, 2023

After Merrill’s tweet went viral, Delta followed up with her, saying it would switch to automatic blood pressure cuffs and “real” stethoscopes, as well as consider glucometers at gates.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2023

The tables are crammed with doctors and nurses and nervous-looking medical students in short white jackets and stethoscopes so shiny that they look like toys.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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