tomography

British  

/ təˈmɒɡrəfɪ /

noun

1. any of a number of techniques used to obtain an X-ray photograph of a selected plane section of the human body or some other solid object

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tomography Scientific  

/ tō-mŏg′rə-fē /

1. Any of several radiologic techniques for making detailed three-dimensional images of a plane section of a solid object, such as the body, while blurring out the images of other planes.

2. See also computerized axial tomography positron emission tomography

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tomography Cultural  

1. A procedure by which waves are sent through an object and computers produce images of cross sections of the object by using information on how the waves are changed. Both ultrasound and CAT scans are medical uses of this technique, but it is also widely used in science and industry.

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Etymology

Origin of tomography

C20: from Greek tomē a cutting + _-graphy

Example Sentences

To analyze the fossil, the team used digital imaging along with micro-computed tomography, or micro-CT, which produces highly detailed images.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

By combining non-invasive techniques such as ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and electrical resistivity tomography, they were able to clearly identify two air-filled cavities.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

"I thought, 'Wait, can we just mimic light excitation of ultrasound waves in photoacoustic tomography, but do it ultrasonically?'"

From Science Daily • Feb. 6, 2026

But a new study questions whether scans—specifically computed tomography scans—are causing more cancer than we thought, specifically among the patients who receive them.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2025

Computed tomography, for instance, visualized the internal structure of Egyptian mummies.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai