Hysteroscope

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument employed in gynecology for visually assessing the uterine cavity and cervical canal
2. A specialized device used to inspect and diagnose conditions within the uterus and cervical region
3. A tool used by doctors to look inside the uterus through the cervix for diagnostic purposes

Etymology: "Hysteroscope" is a modern coinage built from two Greek elements. "Hystera" was the Greek word for "womb" (and, by extension, the uterus), and it is the same root that gives English "hysterectomy," the surgical removal of the uterus. The second element, "-scope," comes from Greek "skopein," "to look at" or "to examine," which also lies behind "microscope" and "telescope." Put together, the parts describe the instrument exactly: a device for looking into the womb. The word is a technical formation, so it reflects the medical vocabulary of its period rather than anything ancient. Greek physicians did not use an equivalent instrument, and the term was built from classical building blocks only once such examinations became possible.

Synonyms: endoscope, medical instrument