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Glite Dictionary
to hemagglutinate

to hemagglutinate

9.9
To make blood cells stick together in clumps
  • verb
  • /ˌhiːməˈɡluːtɪneɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hemaglutinación
  • Some viruses hemagglutinate red blood cells, causing clumps to form in the sample.

Examples

  • Influenza viruses haemagglutinate human red blood cells.

  • In laboratory tests, certain antibodies can hemagglutinate donor blood cells.

  • Scientists observed that the toxin did not hemagglutinate the cells under these conditions.

  • The virus can hemagglutinate red blood cells.

  • In laboratory tests, certain antibodies can hemagglutinate donor blood cells.

  • Some viruses hemagglutinate red blood cells, causing clumps to form in the sample.

  • The influenza virus can hemagglutinate red blood cells from various species.

Synonyms

to agglutinate
vsto hemagglutinate
  • Specialized
9.6

To stick together and form clumps, as cells or particles

applies only to red blood cells rather than any cells or particles

Antonyms

to disperse
104 4.4

To cause people and things, like a crowd or fog, to spread over a wide area

Surface Forms

hemagglutinate infinitive
hemagglutinated past
hemagglutinated past participle
hemagglutinating present participle
hemagglutinates third person singular

Morphology

hemagglutinate = agglutinate (semi-transparent) = hemo + agglutin + ate

Formally regular prefixation of the combining form 'hemo-' (blood) to 'agglutinate' yields 'cause blood to clump', but both elements are technical, so the relation is not obvious to average learners.

Etymology

Hemagglutinate joins hemo- ('blood') and agglutin- ('glue together'), and the second part is easy to remember because it is like the common word 'glue'. So, to hemagglutinate is to make blood cells 'stick together', which explains the modern meaning of causing red blood cells to clump.