What does agglutinate mean?
To agglutinate is to join things together so firmly that they seem glued — a fitting image, since the word descends from the Latin gluten, meaning glue. In medicine and biology, it describes the clumping of particles such as bacteria or red blood cells, famously when antibodies bind their targets, a reaction exploited in diagnostic agglutination tests. In linguistics, it names the process by which certain languages, including Turkish, Finnish, and Japanese, assemble long words by attaching morphemes end to end with minimal alteration, each suffix carrying a distinct meaning. The verb is technical rather than conversational, appearing mainly in scientific and scholarly writing, though its adjective and noun relatives (agglutinative, agglutination) are well established. Its vivid etymology makes it memorable: few words so transparently embody their own meaning, being built — quite literally — on the concept of glue.
To cause particles, cells, or other elements to adhere together as if with glue; in linguistics, to form words by attaching morphemes sequentially with little modification.
"The serum caused the bacterial cells to agglutinate within minutes."
Transitive when an agent causes the joining ('antibodies agglutinate the cells'); can also be used intransitively of the elements themselves.
United or adhered as if glued; in linguistics, describing a language formed by agglutination.
"Japanese is often classified as an agglutinate language."
A substance or material that glues or unites things together; a cementing agent.
"The ancient craftsman mixed an agglutinate of resin and wax to bind the mosaic pieces."
Rare in modern usage; the noun sense referring to a gluing substance is largely historical.
"Early texts describe various natural agglutinates used as adhesives."
The word for 'to glue together' literally contains glue's Latin ancestor — and linguists borrowed it to describe languages like Turkish that build enormous words out of snap-together parts.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of agglutinate
Agglutinate derives from Latin glutinare, 'to glue', based on gluten, meaning glue. It entered English in the early 17th century, first used of physical adhesion and later extended to linguistics in the 19th century to describe languages that join morphemes without fusing them. It shares its root with glue, gluten, and glutinous, all tracing back to the same Latin source.
Related word forms
How agglutinate is actually used
Predominantly formal and technical: common in immunology ('agglutinate red blood cells') and linguistics ('agglutinate morphemes'). Rarely used in casual conversation; everyday equivalents like 'stick together' or 'clump' are preferred outside specialist contexts.
Easily confused with agglutinate
Coagulate means to change from a fluid into a thickened mass (as blood clotting), whereas agglutinate means to stick particles or elements together as if with glue.
Conglutinate is a rarer synonym meaning to glue together, especially of wounds healing; agglutinate is the far more common term and carries the linguistic sense.