X-ray

B2 Topic:The Human Body

US /ˈɛks ˌɹeɪ/ UK /ˈɛks ɹeɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #6428

Meanings

1

noun
A photograph of the inside of the body, made using invisible rays that pass through it.

The doctor ordered some X-rays of my injured wrist.
2

noun
A type of invisible radiation that can pass through solid objects and is used to make medical images.

X-rays let doctors see broken bones without surgery.
3

verb
To take a photograph of the inside of something using X-rays.

The nurse x-rayed my chest before the operation.
4

adj
Relating to or using X-rays.

I had to put my bags through an X-ray scanner at the airport.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a photograph of the inside... roentgenogram

2 noun · a type of invisible... roentgen-ray

Word family

Forms x-rayedx-rayingx-rays

Etymology

From X + ray, a calque of German X-Strahl, coined by Wilhelm Röntgen upon his discovery of the rays in 1895, where X signifies their unknown nature. The chess sense is metaphorical, referring to control passing through a seemingly solid barrier.

Topics

The Human Body Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# X-ray

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɛks ˌɹeɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɛks ɹeɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 6428

## Meanings
1. A photograph of the inside of the body, made using invisible rays that pass through it.
2. A type of invisible radiation that can pass through solid objects and is used to make medical images.
3. To take a photograph of the inside of something using X-rays.
4. Relating to or using X-rays.

## Examples
- The doctor ordered some X-rays of my injured wrist.
- X-rays let doctors see broken bones without surgery.
- The nurse x-rayed my chest before the operation.
- I had to put my bags through an X-ray scanner at the airport.

## Etymology
From X + ray, a calque of German X-Strahl, coined by Wilhelm Röntgen upon his discovery of the rays in 1895, where X signifies their unknown nature. The chess sense is metaphorical, referring to control passing through a seemingly solid barrier.

## AI Etymology
X-ray is from X + ray, a calque of German X-Strahl, coined by Wilhelm Röntgen upon his discovery of the rays in 1895, where X signifies their unknown nature. The chess sense is metaphorical, referring to control passing through a seemingly solid barrier. In present-day use, it can mean a photograph of the inside of the body, made using invisible rays that pass through it, or a type of invisible radiation that can pass through solid objects and is used to make medical images.

## Topics
- The Human Body
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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