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hemagglutinin
noun
hem·ag·glu·ti·nin
ˌhē-mə-ˈglü-tə-nən
: an agglutinin (such as an antibody or viral capsid protein) that causes hemagglutination
Examples of hemagglutinin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Flu viruses are classified based on two proteins that sit on the surface of the virus an H, or hemagglutinin, protein, and an N, or neuraminidase, protein.
—Carma Hassan, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
Notably, the genetic sequence of a key component of the virus — the hemagglutinin subunit — was an exact match to the hemagglutinin sequences from two earlier human cases tied to the dairy outbreak, officials said.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 16 July 2024
The virus would also need to tweak its hemagglutinin, the protein on its surface that locks onto host cells to initiate an infection.
—Andrew Joseph, STAT, 11 Aug. 2023
With 18 hemagglutinin and 11 neuraminidase proteins known, the permutations and combinations are many, leading to a high number of variants.
—Larry Brilliant, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022
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Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
circa 1903, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hemagglutinin
Cite this Entry
“Hemagglutinin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hemagglutinin. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
hemagglutinin
noun
hem·ag·glu·ti·nin
ˌhē-mə-ˈglüt-ᵊn-ən
variants
also hemoagglutinin
or chiefly British haemagglutinin
also haemoagglutinin
: an agglutinin (as an antibody or viral capsid protein) that causes hemagglutination
—abbreviation HA
compare leukoagglutinin
More from Merriam-Webster on hemagglutinin
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hemagglutinin
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