mammogram

The word 'mammogram' is a modern medical compound built from classical roots. The first element, 'mammo-', traces back to the Greek mastos (breast), which entered Latin as mamma, carrying the same anatomical meaning. The second element, '-gram', originates from the Greek gramma, denoting something drawn or written. In scientific terminology, '-gram' evolved to signify a recorded result, such as a diagram or an image. Thus, the literal construction "breast record" logically and precisely describes the modern diagnostic procedure: an X-ray image created to record the internal structure of the breast for medical examination.

Structure: mammo (breast) + gram (record) - mammo: From Greek mastos (breast), via Latin mamma (breast, teat). In English, it functions as a combining form meaning "breast." - gram: From Greek gramma (something written, a letter). In English, it functions as a combining form meaning "a record or picture produced by an instrument."