antiagglutinin
|an-ti-ag-glu-ti-nin|
/ˌæn.ti.əˈɡlʌt.ɪn.ɪn/
antibody/substance that prevents clumping
Etymology
'antiagglutinin' originates from Greek prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' and from 'agglutinin', a late 19th-century medical term ultimately from Latin 'agglutinare' where 'ad-' (to/toward) and 'gluten' meant 'glue'.
'antiagglutinin' was formed in English in the early 20th century by combining the prefix 'anti-' with the immunological noun 'agglutinin' (the latter appearing in medical literature in the late 1800s); the compound entered technical usage in serology and immunology.
Initially its parts literally implied 'against' + 'causing to stick'; over time the compound acquired the specialized modern sense 'an antibody or agent that prevents clumping (agglutination)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an antibody (usually in serum) that prevents or inhibits the agglutination (clumping) of cells or particles, especially in blood typing and immunological tests.
The laboratory detected antiagglutinins in the sample that prevented red blood cell clumping in the test.
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Noun 2
any substance (not necessarily an antibody) that inhibits agglutination or causes previously agglutinating particles to disperse.
Certain chemical agents can act as antiagglutinins by dispersing particle clumps in vitro.
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Last updated: 2025/08/27 03:58