Papanicolaou smear
- noun
- /ˌpæpəˈnɪkəˌlaʊ smɪr/
- Specialized
:
prueba de Papanicolaou
- A Papanicolaou smear can help detect cervical cancer at an early stage.
Examples
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It is important for women to have regular Papanicolaou smears as part of routine health care.
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The doctor recommended a Papanicolaou smear during her annual check-up.
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She scheduled a Papanicolaou smear for next week.
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The doctor recommended a Papanicolaou smear every year.
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A Papanicolaou smear can help detect cervical cancer at an early stage.
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It is important for women to have regular Papanicolaou smears as part of routine health care.
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The doctor recommended a Papanicolaou smear during her annual check-up.
Synonyms
12
4.3
A medical test in which a doctor takes cells from a woman's cervix to check for signs of cancer
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 takes cells from the cervix to check for early signs of cancer
A small sample of cells spread thin on a glass slide to look at under a microscope
A sample of cells taken from the inside of a woman's birth canal to check for infection or unusual cells
Surface Forms
Morphology
Papanicolaou + smear
The phrase combines an eponymous surname (Papanicolaou) with 'smear' (a specimen spread thinly), so a learner who knows 'smear' can infer it denotes a medical smear/test. However, the specific sense—collection from the cervix/uterus for pre-cancer screening—is not derivable from the parts because the eponym provides no semantic information. Given that learners may guess it's a kind of medical smear but not the precise procedure, the item is partially transparent.
Etymology
Papanicolaou smear is named after Dr. Georgios Papanicolaou, who showed doctors how to collect tiny cells from the lower part of the womb. He spread those cells on a glass slide—a smear—so they could be checked for early signs of disease. So the name now means 'a test that checks cells from the cervix to detect cancer early'.