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

Medical imaging, such as a bone density scan and spinal X-rays, can help confirm osteoporosis and detect compression fractures. —Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024

This imaging uses ultrasound waves to view the size, structure, and function of the heart's chambers and valves. —Alexandria Nyembwe, Phd, Rn, Health, 4 Nov. 2024

Suspicion of malignancy: If imaging raises concerns about the potential for cancer, surgical removal is often recommended to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment. —Robert Burakoff, Verywell Health, 1 Nov. 2024

That could include blood work to measure your white and red blood cell counts and potentially to look for substances that can signify cancer, as well as imaging (for instance, an ultrasound, CT scan, or PET scan) to check out what’s going on inside your lymph node(s). —Erica Sloan, SELF, 30 Oct. 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