Pap smear

noun

Etymology: From Papanikolaou + smear. Named after the Greek-American physician Georgios Papanikolaou.

1. A screening test meant to detect precancerous and cancerous cells by taking a sample (‘smear’) of cells from the cervix.

   “She felt vulnerable, like sheʼd just gotten her first Pap smear and didnʼt know how invasive it would feel.”