What does bronchoscope mean?
A bronchoscope is a thin, tube-like medical instrument equipped with a light and viewing system, designed to be guided through the mouth or nose into the trachea and the branching passages of the lungs known as the bronchi. It allows physicians — usually pulmonologists or thoracic surgeons — to see the airways directly, collect tissue samples for biopsy, suction out mucus or secretions, retrieve accidentally inhaled objects, or deliver treatments such as laser therapy. Bronchoscopes come in two principal forms: flexible fiber-optic or video models, which are most common for diagnostic work because they can reach smaller airways with minimal discomfort, and rigid models, which offer better access for removing large foreign bodies or controlling bleeding. The term combines the Greek roots for windpipe ('broncho-') and seeing ('-scope'), so it names precisely what the device does: looking into the bronchi. Related forms include 'bronchoscopy', the examination itself, and 'bronchoscopic', the adjective describing instruments or findings.
nounA slender, lighted tubular instrument passed through the mouth or nose into the windpipe and bronchi to allow a physician to view the airways directly, take tissue samples, or remove foreign objects.
- A lighted tubular optical instrument used to examine the interior of the trachea and bronchi, obtain biopsies, or extract inhaled objects.
"The pulmonologist threaded the flexible bronchoscope down the patient's airway to inspect the suspicious lesion."
"Using a flexible bronchoscope, the surgeon retrieved the peanut lodged in the child's right mainstem bronchus."
"Modern video bronchoscopes transmit high-resolution images of the airway lining to an external monitor during the procedure."
Regular English plural; the plural refers either to multiple instruments or, less commonly, to different types of the device within a clinical setting.
"The endoscopy suite stocked both flexible and rigid bronchoscopes for airway procedures."
The word pairs two Greek roots — 'windpipe' and 'to look' — literally naming the tool that lets doctors see inside your lungs without a single incision.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bronchoscope
The word bronchoscope joins the Greek root 'bronkhos' (βρόγχος), meaning windpipe, with the combining form '-scope', from 'skopein', meaning to look at or examine — the same element found in telescope, microscope, and stethoscope. It was formed as part of the wave of modern medical coinages built on Greek roots in the late nineteenth century, when advances in optics made direct internal visualization practical.
Related word forms
How bronchoscope is actually used
Strictly a medical term used by clinicians; lay readers more often encounter 'bronchoscopy', the name of the procedure. The instrument may be described as flexible (fiber-optic) or rigid depending on its design.
Easily confused with bronchoscope
A bronchoscope is the physical instrument itself, while bronchoscopy is the diagnostic procedure performed using that instrument.