mammogram

noun

mam·​mo·​gram ˈma-mə-ˌgram 

: 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

The test is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing screenings such as mammograms and colonoscopies. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

That mammogram ended up uncovering dense tissue in both of her breasts, which led to a follow-up X-ray, ultrasound, and biopsy appointments, until finally in February Myers was formally diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026

Major guidelines recommend that women at average risk start routine screening mammograms between ages 40 and 45. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Dense breasts increase that risk and make cancer harder to see on a mammogram. — Dana Kozlov, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for mammogram

• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram
• diaphragm
• epigram
• hexagram
• histogram
• hologram
• instagram

Medical Definition

mammogram

noun

mam·​mo·​gram ˈmam-ə-ˌgram 

1

: a photograph of the breasts made by X-rays

2

: the procedure for producing a mammogram