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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pap test

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

Investigators chasing the so-called BTK serial killer in Wichita, Kan., compelled a hospital to turn over a sample of the suspect’s daughter’s DNA; she had recently undergone a Pap test.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2017

After her annual gynecological exam and mammogram several years ago at a medical center near her Virginia Beach home, she got a letter from her doctor saying the results of her Pap test were normal.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 28, 2011

The Pap test isn't just good for women.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 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

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