1. a test carried out on a sample of cells from the cervix to check for abnormalities that may be indicative of cervical cancer: "a routine Pap smear revealed traces of cervical cancer"
▪ a sample of cells collected from the cervix for testing:"Pap smears were reviewed by technicians"
Word Origin1960s: from a shortening of the name of the anatomist George Nicholas Papanicolaou, who devised the technique, + smear (sense 2 of the noun).
