hemagglutination
|he-ma-gglu-ti-na-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌhɛməɡluːtɪˈneɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌhiːməɡlʌtɪˈneɪʃən/
blood cells sticking together
Etymology
'hemagglutination' originates from Modern scientific coinage combining Greek 'haima' (血, 'blood') and Latin 'agglutinare' (to glue together), with the noun-forming suffix '-ation' from Latin.
'hemagglutination' developed in scientific/medical usage from Neo-Latin and Anglo-Latin formations: Greek 'haima' + Latin 'agglutinare' → Medieval/Modern Latin forms such as 'haemagglutinatio' and then into English as 'haemagglutination'/'hemagglutination'.
Initially coined to denote the process of 'blood cells sticking together' (from the component roots), and over time it has retained that core meaning while extending to name specific laboratory assays and observed phenomena in immunology and virology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the clumping (agglutination) of red blood cells, usually caused by the binding of antibodies or other agents to antigens on the cells' surfaces; a phenomenon and the basis of certain laboratory tests (e.g., blood typing, viral assays).
The hemagglutination assay demonstrated that the serum contained antibodies that caused red blood cell clumping.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/31 02:31