Pap smear
12
4.3
- noun
- /pæp smɪr/
- Specialized
:
citología
- Repeated yearly testing can improve the sensitivity of the Pap smears, as seen in the US, but can require significant resources.
But like a pap smear, it's over fast and it really works.
- But like a pap smear, it's over fast and it really works.
- And you're still inviting everybody to your pap smears, mammograms.
- Well, so if you, if you have a hymen, can you get a proper, like vaginal exam, like how they give you the Pap smear and all that?
- And we talked about pap smears before the break.
Examples
-
"The doctor would like to discuss the results of your Pap smear."
Fiction book (1996) -
Screening with Pap smears is not the only way to prevent HPV and cervical cancer.
Blog text (30) -
Besides, I need a Pap smear and he takes my insurance.
-
The initial visit is sometimes for a pap smear and also to check to see if the uterus "feels" pregnant.
Blog text (7) -
Others believe their daughter is not at risk for cervical cancer because she will get regular Pap smears.
Blog text (30) -
High cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates have been reported in Fiji, where Pap smear coverage is low.
Academic text (2016) -
Women should schedule a Pap smear annually to monitor for signs of cervical cancer.
-
After completing her Pap smear, the doctor explained the importance of regular screenings.
-
The clinic offers Pap smears as part of its routine women’s health services.
Synonyms
3
3.7
A medical test that takes cells from the cervix to check for cancer or early changes
1
3.7
A medical test that checks cells from a woman's cervix for signs of cancer or other problems
A health test that checks cells from the cervix for early signs of cancer
A test that collects cells from the opening of a woman's womb to look for early cancer
A test that takes cells from the cervix to check for early signs of cancer
Surface Forms
Morphology
Pap + smear
While 'smear' transparently denotes a specimen spread on a slide and therefore suggests a medical test, 'Pap' is a proper name/abbreviation (Papanicolaou) with no inherent lexical meaning for learners. A B1 learner who knows both words could infer that this is a kind of medical smear test but would not be able to derive the specific cervical/cancer‑screening sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
Pap smear comes from Dr George Papanicolaou, who was called Pap, and the word smear describes spreading a thin layer of cells on a glass slide to look at under a microscope. So Pap smear means the test that looks at cells from a woman's cervix to find early signs of disease.