Urography

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialized imaging method employed to visualize the anatomy and function of the kidneys and urinary passages
2. A diagnostic technique that uses imaging to assess the kidneys and urinary pathways
3. An examination method involving imaging to reveal the structure and function of the urinary system

Etymology: Urography is a compound built from two Greek-derived parts: "uro-", from Greek "ouron", meaning urine, and "-graphy", from Greek "graphein", meaning to write or record. Put together, the name describes the act of recording the urinary tract in pictures. The "-graphy" ending is the same one found in radiography, photography and cartography, which is why the word is easy to decode once its parts are known. The first element carries the surprise. "Uro-" is a combining form that appears in medical terms such as urology and urinalysis, so the word belongs to a family of clinical vocabulary built from the same Greek stem. The second element shows how the method works: the body is made visible on an image, and the term stands for that act of making a record.