What does echocardiogram mean?
An echocardiogram is a diagnostic test — or the image produced by that test — that uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to create moving pictures of the heart. It allows physicians to observe the heart's chambers, valves, walls, and pumping action without surgery or radiation, making it one of the most widely used tools in cardiology. Common varieties include the transthoracic echocardiogram, performed by placing a probe on the chest, and the transesophageal version, which passes a probe down the throat for sharper images; a stress echocardiogram captures the heart at work during exertion. The word belongs to formal medical register, though clinicians often shorten it simply to "echo." It should not be confused with the electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the heart's electrical impulses rather than imaging its structure. Derived from Greek roots meaning "sound," "heart," and "something recorded," the term reflects its nature: a picture of the heart drawn with echoes.
nounAn echocardiogram is an image or recording of the heart produced by ultrasound (echocardiography), used to examine the heart's structure and function. By extension, it also refers to the diagnostic procedure itself.
- The image or recording of the heart produced using reflected ultrasound waves.
- The diagnostic procedure of producing such images.
"The cardiologist ordered an echocardiogram to assess the valve's function."
"Her echocardiogram revealed mild leakage in the mitral valve."
"After the fainting episode, the patient was scheduled for a transthoracic echocardiogram."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple tests or images, often across patients or over time.
"Serial echocardiograms showed that his heart function had improved significantly."
Despite the 'gram' ending suggesting a written record, an echocardiogram is actually a live, moving picture of your heart — you can watch it beat in real time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of echocardiogram
The word is a modern coinage built from three combining forms of Greek origin: "echo" (from ēchō, meaning sound), "cardio-" (from kardia, meaning heart), and "-gram" (from gramma, something written or recorded). It arose in the mid-twentieth century alongside the development of cardiac ultrasound technology, paralleling earlier formations such as "electrocardiogram" from the same "-gram" suffix. Related terms sharing these roots include "echolocation" and "myocardium".
How echocardiogram is actually used
Medical register — common in clinical settings and health journalism but rare in casual conversation. In everyday medical speech it is often shortened informally to "echo". The stress falls on the third syllable.
Easily confused with echocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) records the heart's electrical activity via electrodes on the skin, whereas an echocardiogram uses ultrasound to create images of the heart's structure and motion.
Echocardiography is the imaging technique or procedure itself, while an echocardiogram is the resulting image or a single instance of the test.