autoagglutination
|au-to-ag-glu-ti-na-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊəˌɡluːtɪˈneɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊəˌɡljuːtɪˈneɪʃən/
self-clumping
Etymology
'autoagglutination' originates from a combination of Greek and Latin elements: the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and 'agglutination' from Late Latin 'agglutinatio' (from Latin 'agglutinare'), where 'gluten' meant 'glue'.
'agglutination' came into English via Latin 'agglutinatio' and Medieval/Scientific Latin forms; the modern compound 'autoagglutination' is a later scientific formation created by adding the Greek-derived prefix 'auto-' to 'agglutination' in modern medical/biological English.
Initially, elements around 'agglutin-' referred broadly to 'gluing' or 'sticking together'; over time the compound 'autoagglutination' became specialized to mean 'self-clumping' in biological and clinical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the spontaneous clumping or aggregation of cells, particles, or organisms due to properties on their own surfaces (i.e., clumping that occurs without addition of an external agglutinating agent).
The patient's blood sample exhibited autoagglutination, complicating the cross-matching procedure.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in immunology/hematology, the clumping of red blood cells caused by autoantibodies or intrinsic surface changes, often seen in certain autoimmune hemolytic anemias or cold agglutinin disease.
Laboratory tests confirmed autoagglutination of red cells mediated by warm autoantibodies.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/23 15:10