Pap test

American  

[pap test] / ˈpæp ˌtɛst /

Or pap test

noun

1. 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.

2. a vaginal Pap smear used to evaluate estrogen levels.

3. an examination of exfoliated cells in any body fluid, as sputum or urine, for cancer cells.

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Pap test British  

/ pæp /

noun

1. another name for cervical smear

2. a similar test for precancerous cells in other organs

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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

Ms. Lockhart has made a February appointment for her next Pap test.

From New York Times • Dec. 18, 2022

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

If you account for population growth since the 1940s, the Pap test has reduced cervical cancer mortality by more than 90 percent.

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