Definition of Laryngoscopist

Laryngoscopist: A person who uses a laryngoscope, a flexible, lighted tube used to look at the inside of the larynx (the voice box). The laryngoscope is inserted through the mouth into the upper airway.

History: The laryngoscope was invented in 1830 by Benjamin Guy Babington, a British physician who also first described the disease now called hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and who made considerable contributions to epidemiology.

Etymology: The word "laryngoscope" was compounded from "laryngo-" + the Greek "skopeo," to inspect = to inspect the larynx. The word "larynx" is a direct borrowing from the Greek for the upper part of the airway.