imaging

1 of 2

noun

im·​ag·​ing ˈi-mi-jiŋ 

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image of something that is not visible to the naked eye (such as internal bodily organs or the Earth's subsurface)

Brain imaging of patients with vascular dementia typically show small strokes or poor blood supply deep in the brain, at the natural terminal … of the blood vessel.

—Renee Meyer

Buried under sand, the layout of a city some 4,000 years old has been revealed before anyone lifted a trowel. To build the map of [the city], … archaeologists used geomagnetic imaging, which measures Earth's magnetic force.

—National Geographic

—often used before another noun

imaging equipment

a thermal imaging camera

A computed tomography scan … is an imaging test that lets doctors see inside a person's body.

—NBCNews.com

see also magnetic resonance imaging

imaging

2 of 2

present participle of image

Examples of imaging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The accolades arrived at an auspicious moment for Belgian manufacturer, as the optical imaging specialist now celebrates its 90th anniversary while seeing its imprint on the film world ever expand. —Ben Croll, Variety, 15 May 2024

To support this, the R1 includes a multi-processor imaging engine. —Jim Fisher, PCMAG, 15 May 2024

Gerry currently serves as a research professor in experimental medicine and a professor of cardiac imaging at the University of Leicestershire. —Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 11 May 2024

The Shanghai Institute of Ceramics hints on its website there might be an infrared imaging spectrometer on board that could be used to detect water in soil and rocks, as explained by SpaceNews. —Umar Shakir, The Verge, 8 May 2024

Using a helicopter equipped with a ground-penetrating electromagnetic imaging system, state officials scanned up to 1,000 feet underground to map optimal areas for recharging aquifers. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2024

The imaging test, while noninvasive, can be uncomfortable. —Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 3 May 2024

There is no imaging scan or blood test that can detect the swarms of microscopic tears that repeated blast exposure can cause in a living brain. —Dave Philipps, New York Times, 2 May 2024

Rory Collins helms one of the world’s biggest efforts to address this challenge: UK Biobank, a trove of health data for half a million people over time, including questionnaires, blood samples, and imaging of the heart, brain, and entire body. —TIME, 2 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

image entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing imaging

• functional magnetic resonance imaging
• magnetic resonance imaging

Medical Definition

imaging

noun

: the action or process of using specialized techniques (such as ultrasound, tomography, or radiography) to produce an image especially of an internal body part or organ

advances in clinical diagnostic imaging

Brain imaging has identified numerous regions of altered structure or activity in the brain during major depression, suggesting disordered neurocircuitry in a variety of structures …

—J. John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine

—often used before another noun

imaging modalities

The advent of rapid imaging techniques has made magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) an attractive technology in the evaluation of pulmonary vascular disorders.

—Eric G. Honig et al., Scientific American Medical Bulletin

see also magnetic resonance imaging