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Glite Dictionary
skin test

skin test

2 3.5
A medical test that puts a small amount of something on the skin to check for allergy or past infection
  • noun
  • /skɪn tɛst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : prueba cutánea
  • Since allergies to foods are most commonly involved with inner-ear disease, skin tests are the most valuable method of evaluation.
  • tuberculin skin test
  • PPD skin test
  • skin test result

In our natural transmission model, we do see animals that clearly get infected and then revert their skin test reaction.

Examples

  • The nurse explained that a skin test can help identify if I am allergic to certain substances.

  • Before starting the treatment, my doctor recommended a skin test to assess my immunity to the disease.

  • Just had step one of my TB skin test done today.

    Blog text (12)

  • A tuberculin skin test was positive.

    Academic text (2006)

  • I even had a positive PPD skin test.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Aside from a complete history and physical, a PPD skin test with controls should be administered.

    Academic text (1995)

  • When hired 11 years earlier, the worker had a positive tuberculin skin test result but no other test indicating TB infection or disease.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The PPD skin test is extremely useful for HIV-infected patients when administered with common antigens for controls.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The most useful clinical test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis continues to be the PPD skin test (Figure 1).

    Academic text (1995)

  • Among the MDR-TB contacts, 124 (60%) had positive tuberculin skin test results consistent with latent TB infection.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

scratch test
vsskin test
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A simple test that finds allergies by putting small drops on tiny cuts in the skin

introduces substance on or into skin generally, not only on broken skin
intradermal test
vsskin test
  • Specialized
5.1

A small medical test that puts a tiny amount of an allergen under the skin to see if you react

introduces substance into or onto skin more broadly rather than just into it
subcutaneous test
vsskin test
  • Specialized
6.2

A medical test that puts a small amount of an allergy-causing substance under the skin to see if you react

introduces substance into or onto skin rather than beneath it
patch test
vsskin test
  • Specialized
3.6

A test that puts small sticky pads with substances on skin to check for allergy

introduces substance into or onto skin including injections, not only surface patches

How Invasive

intradermal test
  • Specialized
5.1
skin test
  • Specialized
2 3.5
patch test
  • Specialized
3.6

Surface Forms

skin test singular
skin tests plural

Morphology

skin + test

The meaning 'a medical test involving the skin' is directly and literally composed from 'skin' (the body covering) + 'test' (an examination), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a test performed on the skin. This noun–noun compound pattern is common in English and mirrors constructions in many other languages, making it readily comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The medical phrase skin test comes from the simple image of putting a tiny amount of a substance on or under the skin as a test to see if the body shows a mark or swelling. So, a skin test checks if someone is 'allergic' or has 'immunity' to a disease.