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Glite Dictionary
CAT scanner

CAT scanner

1 3.0
A machine that makes detailed pictures of the inside of the body using X-ray images from different angles
  • noun
  • /kæt ˈskænər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tomógrafo
  • With the latest CAT scanner, doctors can detect abnormalities that traditional X-rays might miss.

Examples

  • There were X-ray rooms, a CAT scanner, and even an NMR machine.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The hospital installed a new CAT scanner to improve diagnostic imaging for patients.

  • During the medical exam, the doctor ordered a CAT scanner to get a clearer view of the patient's condition.

Synonyms

tomograph
vsCAT scanner
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A machine that uses X-rays and a computer to make thin, detailed images inside the body

produces full three-dimensional images rather than single slices
computerized axial tomography scanner
vsCAT scanner
  • Specialized
6.0

A machine that uses X-rays to make detailed 3D pictures of the inside of the body

is the shorter, abbreviated name for the same imaging process

Surface Forms

CAT scanner singular
CAT scanners plural

Morphology

CAT + scanner

Given the provided constituent meanings, 'CAT' denotes a type of computer-based imaging and 'scanner' denotes an electronic device that digitizes/detects information; combining them yields a device that performs CAT imaging. The composition is literal and follows normal compound-noun formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

CAT scanner comes from CAT, short for 'Computed Axial Tomography'. The name gives a clear picture: a computer combines many X-ray shots taken around the body into thin 'slices' you can look at, so the phrase means 'a machine that makes detailed pictures of the inside of the body'.