Meaning & use
X-ray
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Meanings
nouncountable
A type of high-energy radiation that can pass through soft tissue and is used to make pictures of the inside of the body or objects.
Grammar: Countable: one image is an X-ray, and the radiation itself is also called X-ray or X-rays.
Patterns
- have an X-ray
- take an X-ray of something
- an X-ray shows something
The doctor looked at the X-ray and saw a small crack in the bone.
She had an X-ray on her knee after the fall.
The airport uses X-rays to check what is inside passengers' bags.
nouncountable
A photograph or image made using this radiation, especially of part of a person's body.
Grammar: Countable; often used with have or take: have an X-ray, take an X-ray.
Patterns
- take an X-ray
- have an X-ray taken
- an X-ray of someone's chest
The dentist took an X-ray of my back teeth.
The X-rays showed that nothing was broken.
He kept the X-ray of his broken arm as a souvenir.
verbtransitive
To photograph or examine something using X-ray radiation.
Grammar: Takes an object: X-ray a patient, X-ray the suitcase.
Patterns
- X-ray something
- X-ray a patient
The technician will X-ray your arm to check for breaks.
All luggage is X-rayed before it goes on the plane.
They X-rayed the painting to see what was hidden under the surface.
Word forms
| plural | X-rays |
|---|---|
| third person singular | X-rays |
| past tense | X-rayed |
| past participle | X-rayed |
| -ing form | X-raying |
Common combinations
- chest X-ray
- The clinic gave him a chest X-ray before the operation.
- X-ray machine
- The X-ray machine at the airport beeped when my bag went through.
- X-ray image
- The X-ray image clearly showed the shape of the metal key.
- take an X-ray
- The nurse took an X-ray of his ankle.
- X-ray radiation
- Too much X-ray radiation can be harmful, so the staff stand behind a screen.
Synonyms and how they differ
- radiograph
- A technical word for the image itself; use X-ray in everyday speech and radiograph in medical reports.
- scan
- A general word for many kinds of body images, including MRI and CT; an X-ray is one specific type.
Word family
- X-rayed adjective
- Having been photographed with X-rays, as in an X-rayed suitcase.
- X-raying noun
- The act of examining something with X-rays.
Commonly confused: X-ray or ultrasound?
X-ray vs ultrasound
Ultrasound uses sound waves, not X-rays, and is often chosen for pregnant women because it does not use radiation.
Practice
The doctor asked the nurse to ___ my shoulder to see if the bone was broken.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form of the verb, so 'X-ray' is correct. 'X-rays' is the third-person or plural form, 'X-raying' would need a form of be, and 'X-rayed' is the past tense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “X-ray”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.