stethoscope

American  

[steth-uh-skohp] / ˈstɛθ əˌskoʊp /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

• stethoscopes
  plural

1. an instrument used in auscultation to convey sounds in the chest or other parts of the body to the ear of the examiner.

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stethoscope British  

/ ˈstɛθəˌskəʊp /

noun

1. med an instrument for listening to the sounds made within the body, typically consisting of a hollow disc that transmits the sound through hollow tubes to earpieces

2. Also called: obstetric stethoscope. a narrow cylinder expanded at both ends to recieve and transmit fetal sounds

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stethoscope Cultural  

1. An instrument used in listening to internal body sounds. Most familiarly, physicians and nurses use it to listen to heart sounds.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stethoscopist
  noun
• stethoscopy
  noun
• stethoscoped
  adjective
• stethoscopic
  adjective
• unstethoscoped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stethoscopes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stethoscope

First recorded in 1810–20; stetho- + -scope

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Explanation

A stethoscope is the device that doctors and nurses use to listen to your heartbeat. Many medical workers walk around wearing stethoscopes around their necks. Made up of the Greek stethos, "chest or breast," and the suffix -scope, "an instrument for seeing," the meaning of stethoscope is fairly straightforward. It's an instrument that's used to "see," or more accurately, to hear, inside your chest. During a medical exam, your doctor will listen to your heartbeat and the sound your lungs make as you breathe deeply. Veterinarians use stethoscopes too, for listening to their animal patients' hearts and lungs.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stethoscope stethoscopes

Dr. Michel Accad placed a stethoscope in the crook of my arm and pumped up the blood-pressure cuff around my right biceps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

At the beginning of the experiment, each participant lay quietly while the researchers recorded one minute of baseline BS using an electronic stethoscope and advanced signal-processing software.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026

She then recalls a woman from the agency wearing a white coat, a stethoscope and a pearl necklace appearing and taking her daughter.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Noah Wyle, star of the hit medical drama “The Pitt,” is no stranger to sporting a stethoscope around his neck and neither is his mother.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025

I put the stethoscope in my bag and pushed my way through the swarm of people to the port.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

"The medical devices regulatory framework predominantly dates from a period where we were thinking about things like hip replacements and knee replacements, or smaller things like stethoscopes and plasters," Tallon said.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Now, it is teeming with young healthcare professionals in scrubs and stethoscopes waiting for patients.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

The center has a medical booth and a more private exam room with two stethoscopes hanging on the wall.

From Washington Times ● May 22, 2023

After Merrill’s tweet went viral, Delta followed up with her, saying it would switch to automatic blood pressure cuffs and “real” stethoscopes, as well as consider glucometers at gates.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2023

You know things are bad when the United States Marine Corps is using stethoscopes and divining rods.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

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