hemagglutination: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low FrequencyTechnical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “hemagglutination” mean?
The clumping together of red blood cells, typically caused by a specific antibody or virus.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The clumping together of red blood cells, typically caused by a specific antibody or virus.
The phenomenon of red blood cell agglutination; specifically, a laboratory test used to detect antibodies or antigens, or to identify viruses (e.g., influenza) based on their ability to agglutinate red blood cells.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'haemagglutination' is the standard UK spelling; 'hemagglutination' is the standard US spelling.
Connotations
None beyond spelling preference; identical technical meaning.
Frequency
The UK spelling follows British convention for words of Greek origin containing 'haema-' (blood). The US spelling 'hema-' is more common globally in technical literature due to publishing conventions.
Grammar
How to Use “hemagglutination” in a Sentence
Virus X causes hemagglutination.The assay relies on hemagglutination.Antibody Y inhibits hemagglutination.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hemagglutination” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The influenza virus haemagglutinates avian erythrocytes.
- We haemagglutinated the cells to confirm the viral strain.
American English
- The influenza virus hemagglutinates avian erythrocytes.
- We hemagglutinated the cells to confirm the viral strain.
adverb
British English
- The cells reacted haemagglutinatingly to the serum.
- Not commonly used.
American English
- The cells reacted hemagglutinatingly to the serum.
- Not commonly used.
adjective
British English
- We observed a strong haemagglutinating activity.
- The haemagglutination assay results were positive.
American English
- We observed a strong hemagglutinating activity.
- The hemagglutination assay results were positive.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Primarily in medical and biological research papers, textbooks, and laboratory manuals.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Core term in virology, immunology, serology, and clinical diagnostics (e.g., blood typing, viral identification).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hemagglutination”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hemagglutination”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hemagglutination”
- Misspelling (e.g., hemaglutination, hemagglution).
- Confusing with 'hemolysis' (bursting of blood cells).
- Using in non-scientific contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
To detect the presence of specific antibodies or viruses, often for disease diagnosis (e.g., influenza, measles) or blood typing.
'Hemagglutination' is a specific type of agglutination that involves red blood cells ('hem' = blood). 'Agglutination' is the broader term for the clumping of any particles, such as bacteria or latex beads.
In a diagnostic laboratory, it's a useful reaction. In the body, if caused by an infection or incompatible blood transfusion, it is harmful and can block small blood vessels.
In American English: /ˌhiː.mə.ɡluː.tᵊnˈeɪ.ʃən/ (HEE-muh-gloo-tuh-NAY-shun). Stress is on the 'nay' syllable.
The clumping together of red blood cells, typically caused by a specific antibody or virus.
Hemagglutination is usually technical/scientific in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a villain named HEMA who GLUES tiny blood cells (erythrocytes) into TINY clumps - HEMA-GLUE-TINY-ATION.
Conceptual Metaphor
A 'biological handshake' that causes cells to stick together.
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'hemagglutination' most commonly used?