electroencephalogram

American  

[ih-lek-troh-en-sef-uh-luh-gram] / ɪˌlɛk troʊ ɛnˈsɛf ə ləˌgræm /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. a graphic record produced by an electroencephalograph. EEG

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electroencephalogram British  

/ ɪˌlɛktrəʊɛnˈsɛfələˌɡræm /

noun

1.  EEG.  med the tracing obtained from an electroencephalograph

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electroencephalogram Scientific  

/ ĭ-lĕk′trō-ĕn-sĕf′ə-lə-grăm′ /

1. A graphic record of brain waves representing electrical activity in the brain, used especially in the diagnosis of seizures and other neurological disorders.

2. ◆ The instrument used to record an electroencephalogram is called an electroencephalograph. It generates a record of the electrical activity of the brain by measuring electric signals using a set of electrodes attached to the scalp that act as transducers. Differences of electric potential between different parts of the brain are measured by a portable set of galvanometers and printed as a wide paper strip with multiple simultaneous waveform tracings that have standard configurations in the normal brain.

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electroencephalogram Cultural  

1. A written recording of the electrical activity of the brain. Electroencephalograms are useful in studying and detecting brain disorders.

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Etymology

Origin of electroencephalogram

First recorded in 1930–35; electro- + encephalogram

Example Sentences

This setup allowed them to collect data in a way similar to a tiny electroencephalogram, or EEG, the test doctors use to measure brain activity in patients.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2025

So she took inspiration from researchers who study language processing in humans and got her hands on an electroencephalogram machine.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2024

The researchers used an EEG, or electroencephalogram, a device that records the electrical activity of the brain using small, metal discs called electrodes that are affixed to the scalp.

From Salon • May 3, 2023

So in the new study, Anna Bálint, a canine neuroscientist at Eötvös Loránd University, turned to an electroencephalogram, which can measure individual brain waves.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 5, 2022

"But, assuming an enemy could get an EEG—which is the handy way of saying electroencephalogram, Rick and Scotty—what would he do with it?"

From The Electronic Mind Reader by Blaine, John