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sonogram

American  
[son-uh-gram, soh-nuh-] / ˈsɒn əˌgræm, ˈsoʊ nə- /

noun

Medicine/Medical.
  1. the visual image produced by reflected sound waves in a diagnostic ultrasound examination.


sonogram British  
/ ˈsəʊnəˌɡræm /

noun

  1. physics a three-dimensional representation of a sound signal, using coordinates of frequency, time, and intensity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sonogram

First recorded in 1955–60; sono- + -gram 1

Explanation

In medicine, a sonogram uses sound waves to display an image of some internal part of a person's body. A pregnant woman might have a sonogram to get a picture of her fetus. A sonogram most commonly produces a two-dimensional black and white image — for example, of a fetus inside its mother's uterus. Doctors use sonograms to see organs, tendons, muscles, and joints as well. A sonogram works by bouncing high frequency sounds against tissue and displaying the reflected or echoed image. The word itself combines the Latin sonus, or "sound," and the word-forming suffix -gram.

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Vocabulary lists containing sonogram

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.

She only learned that her nearly 20-year-old breast implants were damaged after having them examined with a sonogram.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Mummy even shared a cartoon sonogram on the morning show, a sight seen infrequently in preschool programming.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

She showed the doctor a photo of her sonogram.

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2024

Mesnard, who represents a suburban swing district, held up his phone and played a sonogram recording of his daughter’s heartbeat.

From New York Times • May 1, 2024

She eased into the seat next to mine and snatched the sonogram, turning it this way and that, examining it from every angle.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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