To examine a patient by listening to the sounds made by internal organs and body systems, typically using a stethoscope.
From Latin 'auscultare' (to listen attentively), from 'auris' (ear). The '-ate' suffix makes it a Latin verb adopted into English medical terminology in the 1800s.
Every time a doctor listens to your heart or lungs with a stethoscope, they're performing a technique that goes back thousands of years—ancient physicians tried to diagnose illnesses just by listening to where the body made different sounds!
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