Radiology
/ˌreɪ.diˈɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The branch of medicine that uses imaging and radiation to diagnose and treat disease.
Did you know?Radiology is built from Latin radius, meaning a spoke, ray, or beam, so the field literally began as the study of “rays,” long before X-rays made the word famous.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
radius
“A spoke of a wheel, a rod, or a ray of light”
19th Century
French
radiologie
“The study of rays and radiation”
Late 19th Century
English
radiology
“The scientific study of radiation and its effects, especially in medicine”
Modern English
English
radiology
“The medical specialty using imaging and radiation to diagnose and treat disease”