"It would appear to be a matter of semantics as to whether a substance not produced in response to an antigen should be called an antibody, even though it is a protein and combines specifically with certain antigens alone. It might be better to have a different word for these substances, and the present writer would like to propose the word lectin, from the Latin lectus, the past participle of legere, meaning to pick, choose, or select" (OED).