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.
When to start getting a mammogram For women at average risk, the American Cancer Society says women ages 40 to 44 may choose to begin annual mammograms. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Hughes’ diagnosis came after a routine mammogram in early 2017 revealed an abnormality. — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk may begin annual mammograms between 40 and 44, screen every year from 45 to 54, then move to every two years at 55 or continue annually. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 For women with dense breasts, a mammogram is like searching for one specific cloud among a sky full of them. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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
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