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Glite Dictionary
vaginal smear

vaginal smear

6.0
A sample of cells taken from the inside of a woman's birth canal to check for infection or unusual cells
  • noun
  • /ˈvædʒɪnəl smɪr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : frotis vaginal
  • The doctor recommended a vaginal smear as part of the routine gynecological check-up.

Examples

  • Laboratory analysis of the vaginal smear showed no signs of infection.

  • A vaginal smear can help detect infections early.

  • A vaginal smear can help detect abnormal cervical cells early on.

  • The doctor performed a vaginal smear during the check-up.

  • A vaginal smear can help detect abnormal cervical cells early on.

  • Laboratory analysis of the vaginal smear showed no signs of infection.

  • The doctor recommended a vaginal smear as part of the routine gynecological check-up.

Synonyms

smear
vsvaginal smear
  • Specialized
21 6.4

A thin sample of cells or fluid placed on a glass slide

is taken specifically from the inner lining to screen for infections or abnormal cells
Pap smear
vsvaginal smear
  • Specialized
12 4.3

A medical test in which a doctor takes cells from a woman's cervix to check for signs of cancer

is taken from the inner lining to screen more widely for infections and abnormalities
Pap test
vsvaginal smear
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A medical test that takes cells from the cervix to check for cancer or early changes

is used to screen the inner lining for infections or other abnormal cells
smear test
vsvaginal smear
  • UK
1 3.7

A medical test that checks cells from a woman's cervix for signs of cancer or other problems

is mainly used to screen the inner lining for infections or general abnormal cells
cervical smear
vsvaginal smear
  • UK
3.7

A test that takes cells from the cervix to check for early signs of cancer

is taken from the inner lining of the birth canal rather than the lower opening
Papanicolaou smear
vsvaginal smear
  • Specialized
4.2

A test that collects cells from the opening of a woman's womb to look for early cancer

focuses on the inner lining of the birth canal instead of sampling the upper womb
cytologic smear
vsvaginal smear
  • Specialized
6.1

A small sample of cells spread thin on a glass slide to look at under a microscope

is a clinical sampling from the inner lining to screen for infections or abnormal cells

Surface Forms

vaginal smear singular
vaginal smears plural

Morphology

vaginal + smear

The term is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'vaginal' specifies the anatomical source and 'smear' denotes a specimen spread on a slide for examination. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer it refers to a specimen taken from the vagina for medical examination, so the meaning is directly compositional and cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Vaginal smear comes from the simple action of collecting and spreading cells: doctors take cells from the vaginal lining and gently smear them on a glass slide to look at them under a microscope. So, the phrase means 'a sample of cells taken from the vagina to test for infection or abnormal cells'.