Auscultation

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Auscultation \Aus`cul*ta"tion\, n. [L. ausculcatio, fr.
     auscultare to listen, fr. a dim. of auris, orig. ausis, ear.
     See {Auricle}, and cf. {Scout}, n.]
     1. The act of listening or hearkening to. --Hickes.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Med.) An examination by listening either directly with
        the ear (immediate auscultation) applied to parts of the
        body, as the abdomen; or with the stethoscope (mediate
        auscultation), in order to distinguish sounds recognized
        as a sign of health or of disease.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  auscultation
       n : listening to sounds within the body (usually with a
           stethoscope)