Pap test
Americannoun
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a test for cancer of the cervix, consisting of the staining of cervical cells taken in a cervical or vaginal smear Pap smear, or pap smear for examination of exfoliated cells.
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a vaginal Pap smear used to evaluate estrogen levels.
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an examination of exfoliated cells in any body fluid, as sputum or urine, for cancer cells.
noun
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another name for cervical smear
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a similar test for precancerous cells in other organs
Etymology
Origin of Pap test
First recorded in 1955–60; named after George Papanicolaou (1883–1962), U.S. cytologist, born in Greece, who developed the staining method
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The reasoning was that getting the more accurate HPV test every five years can reduce the risk of cervical cancer more effectively than a Pap test done every three.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 17, 2021
The Pap test — invented in 1928 by Dr. George N. Papanicolaou — involves scraping a few cells from the cervix and checking them under a microscope for precancerous changes.
From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 2013
The Pap test isn't just good for women.
From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2011
There is no reliable and easy-to-administer early detection test for ovarian cancer comparable to the Pap test for cervical cancer.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2011
Many tests are less reliable: a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, for example, suggests that the well-known Pap test for cervical cancer is only 75 percent accurate.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
