Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "echography" ita ce amfani da duban dan tayi don samar da hoton tsarin jiki na ciki. Dabarar hoto ce ta bincike wacce ke amfani da raƙuman sauti masu tsayi don ƙirƙirar hotunan gabobin jiki da kyallen takarda a cikin jiki. An fi amfani da Echography a wuraren kiwon lafiya don bincika gabobin kamar zuciya, hanta, da koda, da kuma lura da girma da ci gaban tayin yayin daukar ciki. Hotunan da aka samu ana kiran su sonograms ko ultrasounds.