Ultrasounds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical imaging procedure employing high-frequency sound waves for creating detailed images of internal organs and tissues
2. Sound waves with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing ; a diagnostic method using these sound waves to form images inside the body
3. Acoustic vibrations at frequencies higher than humans can hear ; a procedure in healthcare that produces visual representations of internal anatomical structures

Etymology: "Ultrasounds" is simply the plural of "ultrasound," so the story belongs to the parts of the word. The first part, "ultra-," comes from Latin "ultra," meaning "beyond" or "on the far side of," and it is the same root that gives English "ultramarine" and "ultraviolet." The second part, "sound," is the ordinary English word for what reaches the ear, so the compound describes sound lying beyond what human hearing can pick up. The plural form appears mainly when people speak of several distinct examinations or types of scan, as in "she had two ultrasounds during her pregnancy." Taken together, the word is a plain combination of an old Latin prefix with an everyday English noun, a transparent formation rather than a term with a dramatic backstory.

Synonyms: sonograms, ultrasonics