carcinoembryonic antigen

noun

car·ci·no·em·bry·on·ic antigen ˌkär-sə-nō-ˌem-brē-ˈä-nik-

: a glycoprotein present in fetal digestive-tract tissues and in peripheral blood of patients with some forms of cancer

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of carcinoembryonic antigen was in 1965

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near carcinoembryonic antigen

carcinoecium

carcinoembryonic antigen

carcinogen

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Carcinoembryonic antigen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcinoembryonic%20antigen. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.

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Medical Definition

carcinoembryonic antigen

noun

car·ci·no·em·bry·on·ic antigen ˌkärs-ᵊn-ō-ˌem-brē-ˌän-ik-

: a glycoprotein present in fetal gut tissues during the first two trimesters of pregnancy and in peripheral blood of patients with some forms of cancer (as of the digestive system or the breast)

—abbreviation CEA