pap test

noun

A screening test to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells by taking a sample ('smear') of cells from the cervix.

Similar
cervical smearPappap smearsmear testPapanicolaou test
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Meanings

pap test1

nounpap test (plural pap tests)

plural pap tests

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Pap test.

    Studies show that the rollout of pap tests, which detect abnormalities in cervical cells, is mainly responsible for a 75 per cent fall in the incidence and mortality of the disease in the US.

    2023 May 17, Jamie Smyth, “Quick blood tests to spot cancer: will they help or harm patients?”, in Financial Times

Pap test2

nounPap test (plural Pap tests)

plural Pap tests

  1. gynaecologyA screening test to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells by taking a sample ('smear') of cells from the cervix.

    Synonyms: cervical smear, Pap, pap, pap smear, Pap smear, smear test

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA screening test to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous cells by taking a sample ('smear') of cells from the cervix.

Similar
cervical smearPappappap smearPap smearsmear test

More synonyms by meaning

nouna method of examining stained cells in a cervical smear for early diagnosis of uterine cancer

Similar
Papanicolaou testsmear test
Broader
diagnostic testdiagnostic assay
Also see
cervical smearpappapanicolaou testpap smearsmearsmear test

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From Papanikolaou. Named after Greek-American physician Georgios Papanikolaou.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 子宮頸塗片檢查 /子宫颈涂片检查
  • 子宮頸塗片檢查 /子宫颈涂片检查 (zǐgōngjǐng túpiàn jiǎnchá)gynaecology: screening test
Dutch uitstrijkje
  • uitstrijkjegynaecology: screening test
Finnish Papa-koe
  • Papa-koegynaecology: screening test
French test de Papanicolaou
  • test de Papanicolaougynaecology: screening test
German Pap-Test
  • Pap-Testgynaecology: screening test
Greek τεστ Παπανικολάου
  • τεστ Παπανικολάου (test Papanikoláou)gynaecology: screening test
Japanese パップテスト
  • パップテスト (papputesuto)gynaecology: screening test
Portuguese teste de Papanicolau, Papanicolau
  • teste de Papanicolaugynaecology: screening test
  • Papanicolaugynaecology: screening test
Russian тест Папаникола́у
  • тест Папаникола́у (tɛst Papanikoláu)gynaecology: screening test
Spanish prueba de Papanicolaou
  • prueba de Papanicolaougynaecology: screening test
Cite this entry
APA

pap test. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pap%20test

MLA

“pap test.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pap%20test. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pap test,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pap%20test.

Source: pap test on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.