Mammogram

/ˈmæməˌɡræm/ noun

Definition

A medical X-ray image of the breast used to detect cancer and other abnormalities early.

Etymology

From Latin 'mamma' (breast) combined with Greek 'gramma' (something written or recorded). It's a modern compound created in the 1950s when the technology became available and standardized.

Kelly Says

Mammograms demonstrate why medical terminology uses Latin and Greek—doctors needed a universal term that worked across all languages, so they combined ancient root words rather than creating new words in English, French, German, etc., separately.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.