AGGLUTINATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does agglutinate mean? 

• AGGLUTINATE (adjective)
  The adjective AGGLUTINATE has 1 sense:

1. united as if by glue

  Familiarity information: AGGLUTINATE used as an adjective is very rare.

• AGGLUTINATE (verb)
  The verb AGGLUTINATE has 2 senses:

1. string together (morphemes in an agglutinating language)

2. clump together; as of bacteria, red blood cells, etc.

  Familiarity information: AGGLUTINATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AGGLUTINATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

United as if by glue

Synonyms:

agglutinate; agglutinative

Similar:

adhesive (tending to adhere)

• AGGLUTINATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they agglutinate    ... he / she / it agglutinates   
Past simple: agglutinated   
Past participle: agglutinated   
-ing form: agglutinating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

String together (morphemes in an agglutinating language)

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "agglutinate" is one way to...):

attach (become attached)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

agglutination (the building of words from component morphemes that retain their form and meaning in the process of combining)

agglutinative (forming derivative or compound words by putting together constituents each of which expresses a single definite meaning)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Clump together; as of bacteria, red blood cells, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "agglutinate" is one way to...):

adhere; cleave; cling; cohere; stick (come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "agglutinate"):

haemagglutinate; hemagglutinate (cause the clumping together (of red blood cells))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

agglutination (a clumping of bacteria or red cells when held together by antibodies (agglutinins))

 Context examples 

Hemagglutination test in which Coombs' reagent (antiglobulin, or anti-human globulin rabbit immune serum) is added to detect incomplete (non-agglutinating, univalent, blocking) antibodies coating erythrocytes.

(Coombs Test, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

This species is catalase and oxidase positive, produces a yellowish pigment, non-hemolytic, utilizes glucose and maltose, but not mannose or lactose, reduces nitrite but not nitrate, and some strains spontaneously agglutinate in saline.

(Neisseria subflava, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is catalase and oxidase positive, produces a grayish white pigment, utilizes glucose, maltose, fructose, and sucrose, but not mannose or lactose, reduces nitrite, but not nitrate, synthesizes polysaccharides, and spontaneously agglutinates in saline.

(Neisseria sicca, NCI Thesaurus)