fecal occult test
- noun
- /ˈfiːkəl əˈkʌlt tɛst/
- Specialized
:
prueba de sangre oculta en heces
- A fecal occult test can help detect early signs of colorectal cancer.
Examples
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You can perform a fecal occult test at home by following the instructions provided in the kit.
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The doctor recommended a fecal occult test as part of my annual check-up.
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The doctor recommended a fecal occult test for early detection.
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Have you had your fecal occult test done this year?
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The doctor recommended a fecal occult test to check for hidden blood in my stool samples.
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Every year, adults over 50 should undergo a fecal occult test to screen for colorectal cancer.
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To detect potential health issues early, it is important to complete a fecal occult test as part of routine examinations.
Synonyms
1
3.5
A medical test that checks a small sample of poo for blood or infection
How Diagnostic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional from the constituents: 'fecal' (relating to feces) + 'occult' (hidden) + 'test' (an examination), so a learner who knows these words can infer it is an examination for hidden fecal/blood traces. Although 'occult' can also have a supernatural sense in everyday use, here it bears the common meaning 'hidden,' making the overall phrase transparent to learners familiar with the component meanings.
Etymology
The noun fecal occult test comes from its parts: fecal means 'stool' and occult means 'hidden'. The test looks for tiny hidden bits of blood in stool samples, so it can help find early signs of bowel problems like cancer.