A stethoscope is an instrument that a doctor uses to listen to your heart and breathing. It consists of a small disc that is placed on your body, connected to a hollow tube with two pieces that the doctor puts in his or her ears.
stethoscope in British English
(ˈstɛθəˌskəʊp)
noun
1. medicine
an instrument for listening to the sounds made within the body, typically consisting of a hollow disc that transmits the sound through hollow tubes to earpieces
2. Also called: obstetric stethoscope
a narrow cylinder expanded at both ends to receive and transmit fetal sounds
Derived forms
stethoscopic (ˌstɛθəˈskɒpɪk)
adjective
stethoscopy (stɛˈθɒskəpɪ)
noun
Word origin
C19: from French, from Greek stēthos breast + -scope
stethoscope in American English
(ˈstɛθəˌskoʊp)
noun
Medicine
a hearing instrument used in auscultation, for examining the heart, lungs, etc. by listening to the sounds they make