Endoscopy
/ɛnˈdɒskəpi/noun
A medical procedure using a scope to look inside the body.
Did you know?Its Greek roots are the same ones behind words for seeing and watching, which is why the term feels almost like a sanctioned form of hidden knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
éndon
“inside, within”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skopéō / skopós
“to look at; watcher, observer”
19th Century
French
endoscopie
“the examination of the interior of a hollow organ with an instrument”
19th Century
English
endoscopy
“the use of an endoscope to examine the interior of the body”
Modern English
English
endoscopy
“a procedure for visually examining internal body cavities with a scope”
Explore more surprising origins