ausculto-, auscult- +

To examine by listening to the sounds made by the internal organs of the body for diagnostic purposes, usually to the sounds of the thoracic or abdominal viscera, with or without a stethoscope: Nurses and doctors usually auscultate the lungs and heart of a patient by using a stethoscope placed on the patient's chest.

The patient was auscultated, or looked over very carefully, by Dr. Smith, the specialist who evaluated the results following the checkup.

The act of listening for sounds within the body, chiefly for determining the condition of the lungs, heart, pleura, abdomen, and other organs, and for the detection of pregnancy: While Mary, who was pregnant, was at the gynaecologist's for a checkup, the baby's heartbeats were listened to by the method of auscultation.

1. A person who uses a diagnostic procedure to listen to sounds within a person's body; An auscultator is an individual who uses a procedure for detecting certain defects or conditions by listening for normal and abnormal heart, breath, bowel, fetal, and other sounds in the body.
2. An instrument used to listen to sounds within the body; a stethoscope: Dr. Green asked the nurse to give him an auscultator so that he could detect any irregular and strange noises within Janet's body.

A reference to, or pertaining to the act of listening to sounds arising within organs: An auscultatory process is necessary in order to detect any strange sounds in the lungs or other organs, and this process is good in aiding medical diagnosis and treatment.

A normal or abnormal noise arising from within the body: There are various types of auscultatory sounds that may come from within a person's body.

A "rale" is the intermittent crackling or bubbling sound produced by fluid in the air passages and air sacs of the lungs.

A "murmur" is a soft blowing or fluttering sound.

A "bruit" is a significant sound heard inside the body caused by turbulent blood flow within the heart or blood vessels.

A "fremitus" is a vibration or tremor resulting from a physical action, such as speaking or coughing, and felt by a hand and is also used to assess whether the chest is affected by a disease.

There are, of course, other sounds heard during auscultation examinations of the chest or abdomen.

An instrument for use in both auscultation and percussion of bodily examinations: Dr. Timothy wanted to use an auscultoplectrum in order to listen to Sam's heart and then be able to make a diagnosis.

A stethoscopic device that intensifies auscultatory sounds and consists of a shallow metal cup closed by a diaphragm: A phonendoscope is an implement that amplifies sounds and is used mainly in the human body.

The act of listening to the internal sounds of the body, and in this case, it is performed without the stethoscope: Tom used direct auscultation to determine if he could detect the heartbeats of his unborn child inside his wife’s uterus.

Auscultatory percussion done by tapping with one forefinger, the second joint of the other forefinger applied perpendicularly to the body part being examined: Mary thought that the method of Korányi's auscultatory percussion was an easy way to perform and without using any type of device in order to listen for sounds in a person's body.

The act of listening performed by the aid of an instrument (stethoscope) interposed between the ear and the body part being examined: The midwife wanted to know if the heartbeats of the fetus were all right, so she decided to use the method of mediate auscultation and wanted a stethoscope for it.

The situation of listening to the sounds of the fetal heart in pregnancy: Every time Jenny went to the gynaecologist's for her regular checkup when she was pregnant, an obstetric auscultation was performed in order to make sure that her unborn baby was developing all right.