autoagglutinating
|au-to-ag-glu-ti-na-ting|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊəˈɡlʌtɪneɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊəˈɡlʌtɪneɪt/
(autoagglutinate)
self-clumping
Etymology
'autoagglutinating' originates from a combination of Greek and Latin elements: the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self', and 'agglutinate' ultimately from Latin 'agglutinare' (related to 'gluten' meaning 'glue').
'agglutinate' entered English via Latin 'agglutinare' (and related Romance forms) meaning 'to glue together'; the compound 'auto-' + 'agglutinate' produced 'autoagglutinate', with the present-participle/adjectival form 'autoagglutinating' used in scientific contexts.
Initially, roots conveyed the idea of 'gluing' or 'sticking together'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'clumping together (often of cells or particles), sometimes spontaneously or by self-reaction', which is the modern scientific sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle form of 'autoagglutinate' (to clump together spontaneously or bind to itself)
The bacterial culture was autoagglutinating in the saline suspension.
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Adjective 1
undergoing or causing autoagglutination; characterizing cells or particles that clump together by themselves
Autoagglutinating cells can interfere with certain serological tests.
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Last updated: 2025/11/23 14:56