凝集 (níng jí) — to agglutinate; to cause agglutination (esp. in chemistry or biology)

Definition

Refers to particles (cells, proteins, etc.) clumping together, mainly used in scientific contexts (chemistry, immunology, biology).

verb
to agglutinateto cause agglutination (esp. in chemistry or biology)

Examples

  • 凝集。
    Xuè yè zhōng de hóng xì bāo zài kàng tǐ zuò yòng xià huì níng jí.
    Red blood cells in the blood will agglutinate under the action of antibodies.
  • 凝集。
    Zhè zhǒng huà xué shì jì néng shǐ xì jūn xì bāo níng jí chéng tuán.
    This chemical reagent can make bacterial cells agglutinate into clumps.
  • 凝集。
    Dàn bái zhì zài jiā rè guò chéng zhōng kě néng níng jí chén diàn.
    Proteins may agglutinate and precipitate during heating.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

凝níngcongeal
集jígather

凝 means congeal and 集 means gather, together describing particles clumping into a mass.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
疑
疑yí凝níng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

凝 pairs 冫 (ice, also written 仌) with 疑, which gives the sound.

Open 凝 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

集 pairs 隹 (bird) with 木 (tree), showing birds on a tree, hence a gathering.

Open 集 →

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