mammogram

noun

mam·​mo·​gram ˈma-mə-ˌgram How to pronounce mammogram (audio)
: a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays
also : the procedure for producing a mammogram

Examples of mammogram in a Sentence

She went to the hospital for her yearly mammogram.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After her annual mammogram showed abnormalities, Oteri hadn’t initially been concerned. — Eileen Finan, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 The medical service A breast MRI — short for magnetic resonance imaging — is a preventive and diagnostic tool that captures pictures of breast tissue in higher detail than a mammogram. — Lauren Sausser, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Unlike mammograms, breast MRIs aren’t universally covered as zero-cost preventive care. — Lauren Sausser, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026 That’s when doctors found something suspicious after her annual mammogram and asked her to come back for a sonogram — then a biopsy, and finally an MRI. — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mammogram

Word History

Etymology

Latin mamma "breast" + -o- + -gram — more at mamma entry 1

Note: The terms mammogram and mammography were introduced by the American physician and surgeon Nymphus Frederick Hicken (1900-98) in "Mammography: roentgenologic diagnosis of breast tumors by means of contrast media," Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, vol. 64 (1937), pp. 593-603.

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mammogram was in 1937

Rhymes for mammogram

See All Rhymes for mammogram

Browse Nearby Words

mammock
mammogram
mammography
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Cite this Entry

“Mammogram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mammogram. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Medical Definition

mammogram

noun
mam·​mo·​gram ˈmam-ə-ˌgram How to pronounce mammogram (audio)
1
: a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays
2
: the procedure for producing a mammogram
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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