ultrasound
gb/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/ us/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
B2
English
~ 9900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
action
1
Medical scan using sound waves
A medical test where doctors use sound waves to see inside your body, for example to look at a baby during pregnancy or to check an organ.
Usage pattern:
to have [an ultrasound] (on [a body part])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse “ultrasound” and “sonogram.” In everyday English, “ultrasound” usually means the test, while “sonogram” is the image from the test. Learners also sometimes forget the article and say “I have ultrasound tomorrow”; in this medical sense, it is usually countable: “I have an ultrasound tomorrow.”
Synonyms
scan (General word for a medical imaging test; does not say what technology is used.)
|
sonogram (Usually refers to the image or picture produced by an ultrasound test, rather than the test itself.)
Antonyms
X-ray (A different type of medical imaging that uses ionizing radiation instead of sound waves and is often contrasted with ultrasound.)
Collocations
prenatal ultrasound
|abdominal ultrasound
|ultrasound scan
|ultrasound image
|ultrasound machine
|ultrasound technician
Themes
medicine
|health
|science
Examples
- The doctor ordered an abdominal ultrasound to check her liver.
- She had a prenatal ultrasound at twelve weeks to see how the baby was developing.
- The technician said the ultrasound would take about twenty minutes.
- According to the ultrasound, the baby is healthy and growing normally.
- They used an ultrasound scan to look for gallstones.
Learner examples
- I have an ultrasound next week.
- She went to the hospital for a prenatal ultrasound.
- The doctor looked at the ultrasound on the screen.
- They did an ultrasound on his leg after the injury.
- The ultrasound showed a small problem with his kidney.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
2
Sound waves above hearing range
Very high sound waves that people cannot hear, used in medical tests and some machines.
Usage pattern:
ultrasound is used for [a purpose]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think “ultrasound” means “very loud sound.” It actually refers to very high frequency sound, not to volume. There is also confusion between the noun “ultrasound” (the type of sound) and the adjective “ultrasonic” (describing devices or waves that use ultrasound).
Synonyms
ultrasonic sound (More explicit technical phrase; slightly longer and less common in everyday medical language.)
Antonyms
infrasound (Refers to sound waves with frequencies below the human hearing range, in contrast to ultrasound which is above it.)
Collocations
ultrasound waves
|ultrasound frequency
|ultrasound technology
|ultrasound imaging
|ultrasound sensor
Themes
science
|technology
|medicine
|health
Examples
- Ultrasound is widely used in industry to detect cracks in metal.
- Bats navigate in the dark by emitting ultrasound and listening for the echoes.
- The device sends out ultrasound waves that bounce off nearby objects.
- Scientists measured how ultrasound travels through different materials.
- The research team is testing a new ultrasound sensor for robotics.
Learner examples
- Bats use ultrasound to find insects in the dark.
- Ultrasound is a type of sound that people cannot hear.
- Some machines use ultrasound waves to check metal for problems.
- Ultrasound can travel through water and soft body tissue.
- Engineers study ultrasound to make better medical tools.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ultrasound
IPA
GB/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
US/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
Syllables & stress
ul - tra - sound (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (sound)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ultrasound
- Plural: ultrasound, ultrasounds
Word family
Forms
ultrasounds
noun
Core family
ultrasonic
adjective
Related words
sonogram
noun
sonography
noun
sonographer
noun
Advanced or less common
ultrasonography
noun
Expressions
abdominal ultrasound
1/æbdˈɑmənəl ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
technical
Ultrasound of the abdomen
An ultrasound test that looks inside the stomach area to check organs like the liver or kidneys.
Examples
- The doctor ordered an abdominal ultrasound to check her liver.
- An abdominal ultrasound is often used to look for gallstones.
- He was sent for an urgent abdominal ultrasound because of severe pain.
go for an ultrasound
1/ɡˈoʊ fɚ ən ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Visit a clinic for an ultrasound
To travel to a clinic or hospital to get an ultrasound test.
Examples
- She had to go for an ultrasound early in the morning.
- I’m going for an ultrasound next week to check my stomach pain.
- They told him to go for an ultrasound if the pain didn’t stop.
have an ultrasound
1/hˈæv ən ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Receive an ultrasound test
To go through a medical test where doctors use sound waves to see inside your body.
Examples
- She will have an ultrasound tomorrow to check the baby.
- My doctor wants me to have an ultrasound on my kidneys.
- He had an ultrasound after the accident to see if there was internal bleeding.
prenatal ultrasound
1/pɹinˈeɪtəl ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Ultrasound done during pregnancy
An ultrasound test done when a woman is pregnant, to look at the baby inside the womb.
Examples
- She had a prenatal ultrasound at twelve weeks.
- Prenatal ultrasound can detect many birth defects early.
- Most parents look forward to the first prenatal ultrasound.
ultrasound imaging
1/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd ˈɪmɪd͡ʒɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
Technique of imaging with ultrasound
A way of making pictures of the inside of the body by using ultrasound waves.
Examples
- Ultrasound imaging is safer than X-rays because it does not use radiation.
- The hospital has invested in new ultrasound imaging equipment.
- Ultrasound imaging plays a key role in modern cardiology.
ultrasound machine
1/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd məʃˈin/
fixed phrase
technical
Device used to perform ultrasound
The medical machine that sends and receives ultrasound waves to make pictures inside the body.
Examples
- The nurse moved the ultrasound machine next to the bed.
- Modern ultrasound machines can create very clear images.
- They bought a portable ultrasound machine for the clinic.
ultrasound scan
1/ˌʌltɹəsˈaʊnd skˈæn/
fixed phrase
Medical examination with ultrasound
A medical check where a machine uses sound waves to make pictures inside your body.
Examples
- The ultrasound scan showed no signs of cancer.
- She brought home a picture from her ultrasound scan.
- He went in for an ultrasound scan of his heart.