PET scan

[ pet-skan ]

/ ˈpɛt ˌskæn /

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noun Computers, Medicine/Medical.

an image obtained by positron emission tomography, using a PET scanner.

an examination performed with a PET scanner.

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Origin of PET scan

First recorded in 1975–80; PET + scan

Words nearby PET scan

Petrovsk, Petrozavodsk, pe-tsai, pe-tsai cabbage, Petsamo, PET scan, PET scanner, PET scanning, pet sitting, petti, petticoat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use PET scan in a sentence

Owing to its popularity as a pet, it has spread across the Pacific to China.
The Buddhist Business of Poaching Animals for Good Karma|Brendon Hong|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then I was the December Penthouse Pet, which is a huge honor.
Porn Stars on the Year in Porn: Drone Erotica, Belle Knox, and Wild Sex|Aurora Snow|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not long after I was finally diagnosed, my doctor ordered a bone density scan.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This season is all about monitoring posture, scrutinizing sun exposure, even exploring the health of a pet.
Nothing Says I Love You Like Data|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When POTUS asked Malia if she wanted to pet the turkey before he granted its reprieve, she responded appropriately: “Nah.”
GOP Flack Throws Shade at First Teens|Olivia Nuzzi|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he gets quite large the boy will get tired of having him for a pet, and perhaps bring him back.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
Now and then the boy who had bought Squinty, and who was taking him home, would look around at his pet in the slatted box.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
The boy lifted up his pet, and put him back in the pen that had been especially built for the little pig.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
After a little while Yung Pak got used to these "monkey shines," and he knew that his pet would not stay away long after mealtime.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
You can see that it is five o'clock, because Big God Nqong's pet tame clock says so.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

Scientific definitions for PET scan

PET scan

[ pĕt ]

Short for positron emission tomography scan. A cross-sectional image of a metabolic process in a human or animal body produced by positron emission tomography.

Cultural definitions for PET scan

PET scan

Acronym for positron emission tomography, a medical test that is especially useful in showing how tissue or an organ is functioning, as opposed to just showing structure. In a PET scan, radioactive atoms are introduced into the body, where their chemical behavior is exactly the same as similar nonradioactive atoms. The positrons emitted when these nuclei decay collide with electrons in surrounding tissue, producing gamma rays that can then be detected by instruments outside the body.

notes for PET scan

A PET scan can show the blood flow through the brain, areas of high metabolic activity that indicate potential tumors, as well as areas of damaged heart tissue.