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Glite Dictionary
oral smear

oral smear

6.3
A sample of mouth cells spread on a slide to look at under a microscope
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrəl smɪr/
  • Specialized
translation icon : frotis oral
  • The doctor ordered an oral smear to check for signs of infection.

Examples

  • Laboratory technicians prepared the oral smear for microscopic analysis.

  • The doctor took an oral smear for testing.

  • An oral smear can help diagnose certain fungal or bacterial diseases of the mouth.

  • Have you ever had an oral smear done?

  • An oral smear can help diagnose certain fungal or bacterial diseases of the mouth.

  • The doctor ordered an oral smear to check for signs of infection.

  • Laboratory technicians prepared the oral smear for microscopic analysis.

Synonyms

smear
vsoral smear
  • Specialized
21 6.4

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

is limited to samples taken specifically from the mouth rather than any source
cytologic smear
vsoral smear
  • Specialized
6.1

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

is taken from the mouth specifically rather than any body site

Surface Forms

oral smear singular
oral smears plural

Morphology

oral + smear

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'oral' (pertaining to the mouth) with 'smear' (a specimen spread on a slide); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a mouth-derived specimen prepared for microscopic examination. This follows a regular adjective + noun composition pattern common across languages and in medical register, so the sense is predictable from its parts.

Etymology

The noun oral smear comes from the simple action of taking a small oral smear, a tiny 'sample' from the mouth that is spread across a glass slide to look under a microscope. So, the name means 'a lab test from the mouth' used to check for infection.