Designating an antigen originally identified in gastrointestinal tumours and fetal colonic tissue, and the group of cell membrane glycoproteins, structurally related to immunoglobulins, to which this antigen belongs.
Origin
1960s. From carcino- + embryonic.
Definition of carcinoembryonic in US English:
carcinoembryonic
adjectiveˈkɑːsɪnəʊˌɛmbrɪˌɒnɪk
Biology Medicine
Designating an antigen originally identified in gastrointestinal tumours and fetal colonic tissue, and the group of cell membrane glycoproteins, structurally related to immunoglobulins, to which this antigen belongs.