imaging

1 of 2

noun

im·​ag·​ing ˈi-mi-jiŋ 

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image of something that is not visible to the naked eye (such as internal bodily organs or the Earth's subsurface)

Brain imaging of patients with vascular dementia typically show small strokes or poor blood supply deep in the brain, at the natural terminal … of the blood vessel.

—Renee Meyer

Buried under sand, the layout of a city some 4,000 years old has been revealed before anyone lifted a trowel. To build the map of [the city], … archaeologists used geomagnetic imaging, which measures Earth's magnetic force.

—National Geographic

—often used before another noun

imaging equipment

a thermal imaging camera

A computed tomography scan … is an imaging test that lets doctors see inside a person's body.

—NBCNews.com

see also magnetic resonance imaging

imaging

2 of 2

present participle of image

Examples of imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Imaging tests may include: X-rays Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Ultrasound Computed tomography (CT) scans Treating Providers Various providers may treat arthritis and rheumatic diseases. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024

In August, an attack on McLaren Health Care's computer network and phone systems hobbled operations at 13 of its Michigan hospitals, surgery, infusion and imaging centers along with its network of 113,000 medical providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 26 Sep. 2024

Primarily focused on deploying AI tools for imaging and radiology, Ferrum's technology helps integrate new point solutions within a hospital's existing firewall and data center. —Claire Rychlewski, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024

The facility would include larger operating rooms and diagnostic imaging, which the existing zoo hospital doesn't have. —Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

image entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing imaging

• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Medical Definition

imaging

noun

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image especially of an internal body part or organ

advances in clinical diagnostic imaging

Brain imaging has identified numerous regions of altered structure or activity in the brain during major depression, suggesting disordered neurocircuitry in a variety of structures …

—J. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

—often used before another noun

imaging modalities

The advent of rapid imaging techniques has made magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) an attractive technology in the evaluation of pulmonary vascular disorders.

—Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin

see also magnetic resonance imaging