auscultation

noun

aus·​cul·​ta·​tion ˌȯ-skəl-ˈtā-shən 

: the act of listening to sounds arising within organs (such as the lungs) as an aid to diagnosis and treatment

Examples of auscultation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Labor Fetal monitoring in labor can be done by intermittent auscultation, which means listening with a stethoscope, fetoscope, or handheld Doppler at various points in labor. —Robin Elise Weiss, Phd, Parents, 30 July 2024

Cardiovascular auscultation was unremarkable. —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2013

The result is superior sound quality that picks up even subtle changes in volume and pitch—an absolute must when learning auscultation. —Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 1 Mar. 2023

There is no palpation (feeling with fingers or hands), no auscultation (listening to body sounds) and no percussion (tapping body parts), all essential components of a physical examination. —Diane Omdahl, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022

Pulmonary exam: His lungs were clear to auscultation. —Jamie Ducharme, Time, 18 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Latin auscultation-, auscultatio act of listening, from auscultare to listen; akin to Latin auris ear — more at ear

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

auscultation

noun

aus·​cul·​ta·​tion ˌȯ-skəl-ˈtā-shən 

: the act of listening to sounds arising within organs (as the lungs or heart) as an aid to diagnosis and treatment