Radiographic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Related to or produced by the process of creating images using X-rays or other forms of radiation to visualize internal structures of objects or organisms
2. Pertaining to the imaging technique that employs X-rays or radiation to reveal the inner anatomy of living beings or materials
3. Connected to the method of forming visual representations through the use of radiation to explore the subsurface details of various entities

Etymology: Radiographic is a plain formation: it is the adjective of "radiography", with the suffix "-ic" added to that noun. "Radiography" is itself built from the Latin-derived "radius", meaning ray, and the Greek-derived "-graphy", meaning writing or recording, so the adjective describes anything connected with producing images by means of rays. The "-ic" ending is the familiar Greek-derived suffix that turns a noun into a related adjective, as in "historic" from "history" or "photographic" from "photography". Following the same pattern, "radiographic" describes the images, equipment, and procedures associated with radiography. Because the root "radiography" is the older and more basic term, the adjective simply takes its meaning from it, with no separate story of its own.

Synonyms: x-ray, radiological, radiant, imaging, photo