-a-

The vowel of rat

Infix

infix

1. (pharmacology) A monoclonal antibody derived from a rat.

Related terms

• -mab is the base suffix common to all monoclonal antibodies

Various, often difficult to determine. Used in Middle English since 14th century.

Anatoly Liberman. An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology: An Introduction, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-81665272-3, “Cockney”, and “Ragamuffin” (section 3. “Words with unetymological -a- …”, pp. 183

Sometimes borrowed from French à ("(various prepositions)"), as in vis-à-vis, sometimes reduced from of. Other words may be established on these models, as in jack-a-napes. May be spelled differently, with same schwa pronunciation, as in o' or Cockney (from Cockeney); other early form in ragamuffin and cock-a-leekie.

Infix

infix

1. Connective infix (used in forming compounds), generally no longer carrying meaning.

Infix

infix

1. Replacing carbon especially in a ring.