Aegophony

/iːˈɡɑfəni/ noun

Definition

A nasal sound quality in the voice, heard through a stethoscope when examining the chest of certain patients, that sounds like a bleating goat.

Etymology

From Greek aix (goat) plus phone (sound/voice). This medical diagnostic term literally means 'goat-sound,' named for its distinctive quality heard by doctors examining lung conditions.

Kelly Says

Doctors use this strange bleating sound as a diagnostic clue—when you listen to someone's chest with a stethoscope and hear their voice coming through abnormally high and nasal, it's like a goat bleating inside their lungs, which suggests specific lung problems.

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