antiplatelet
|an-ti-plate-let|
/ˌæn.tiˈpleɪt.lət/
prevents platelet clumping
Etymology
'antiplatelet' originates from Modern English compounding of the prefix 'anti-' and the noun 'platelet'. 'anti-' comes ultimately from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against', and 'platelet' is formed from 'plate' + the diminutive suffix '-let'.
'platelet' derived from 'plate' (Old French 'plate', from Late Latin/Latinized forms) with the diminutive suffix '-let' added in English; medical use of 'platelet' to mean a small blood element dates from the late 19th to early 20th century. The compound 'antiplatelet' arose in the 20th century in clinical and pharmacological contexts to describe agents acting against platelets.
Initially the components meant 'against' + 'small plate' (literal sense), but over time the compound came to mean specifically 'against platelet aggregation' or 'a drug that inhibits platelets' in medical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or agent that inhibits platelet function or platelet aggregation (e.g., aspirin, clopidogrel). Often used in clinical contexts as 'an antiplatelet' or 'antiplatelet agent'.
Aspirin is a widely used antiplatelet for preventing recurrent heart attacks and strokes.
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Adjective 1
preventing or inhibiting the aggregation (clumping) of blood platelets; used to describe therapies or actions that reduce platelet function.
Antiplatelet therapy is recommended after coronary stent placement to reduce the risk of thrombosis.
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Last updated: 2025/09/07 05:50