agglutinate

1 of 2

verb

ag·​glu·​ti·​nate ə-ˈglü-tə-ˌnāt 

agglutinated; agglutinating

transitive verb

1

: to cause to adhere : fasten

2

: to combine into a compound : attach to a base as an affix

3

: to cause to undergo agglutination

intransitive verb

1

: to unite or combine into a group or mass

2

: to form words by agglutination

agglutinate

2 of 2

noun

ag·​glu·​ti·​nate ə-ˈglü-tə-nət  -tə-ˌnāt 

: a clump of agglutinated material (such as blood cells or mineral particles in soil)

Examples of agglutinate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

There is also a peculiar effect whereby different books read by the same narrator can seem to agglutinate into a single mongrel super-book. —Paul Grimstad, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2023

The blood sample will visibly clump or agglutinate due to the effects of the existing antibodies on the new bacteria, and the patient is thus diagnosed with R. proawazekii. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016

Noun

These agglutinates accumulate over time and can make up 60 to 70 percent of mature regolith samples. —Erica Jawin, Scientific American, 2 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin agglūtinātus, past participle of agglūtināre "to cause to adhere, stick or glue on," from ad- ad- + glūtināre "to glue or stick together," verbal derivative of glūtin-, glūten "glue, paste" — more at clay

Noun

derivative of agglutinate "joined as if with glue," borrowed from Latin agglūtinātus, past participle of agglūtināre "to cause to adhere, stick or glue on" — more at agglutinate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1586, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

agglutinate

verb

ag·​glu·​ti·​nate

ə-ˈglüt-ᵊn-āt

agglutinated; agglutinating

1

: to cause to stick : fasten

2

: to cause to clump or experience agglutination

3

: to unite into a group or gather into a mass

Medical Definition

agglutinate

1 of 2 verb

ag·​glu·​ti·​nate -ᵊn-ˌāt 

agglutinated; agglutinating

transitive verb

: to cause to undergo agglutination

intransitive verb

: to undergo agglutination

agglutinate

2 of 2 noun

ag·​glu·​ti·​nate -ᵊn-ət, -ᵊn-ˌāt 

: a clump of agglutinated material (as blood cells or bacteria)