Definition

A medical procedure that allows a doctor to look inside the colon using a special instrument called a colonoscope.

Example

The doctor recommended a colonoscopy to check for any abnormalities in the patient's colon.

Conversation

I heard you had a colonoscopy last week, how did it go?

It was a bit uncomfortable, but the doctors were really nice.

I can imagine! Was it just a routine check-up?

Yeah, they recommended it since I'm getting older.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Colonoscopy is formed from "colon" (from Greek "kolon", meaning the large intestine) and "-scopy" (from Greek "skopein", meaning to look or examine). The word refers to the examination of the large intestine through visual inspection.

Memory Tip

Think of looking into the 'colon' (the large intestine) to 'examine' it — that's what a colonoscopy does.

Visually Confused Words