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

Using a helicopter equipped with a ground-penetrating electromagnetic imaging system, scientists have scanned up to 1,000 feet underground to map optimal areas for recharging aquifers — including channels left by ancient rivers that lie hidden beneath alluvial fans in the valley. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024

During a summer 2023 test phase, 20 consultations were carried out in just two weeks, including two ultrasounds for patients on the island of Fatu Hiva, which does not have medical imaging tools. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024

Traps were set up around the area, and the police department was using thermal imaging cameras in their search for the rogue rhesus. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2024

Butterfly Network's handheld ultrasound device, powered by AI, enables point-of-care imaging, making early diagnosis more accessible. —David Henkin, Forbes, 4 Nov. 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