mutate

American  

[myoo-teyt] / ˈmyu teɪt /

verb (used with object)

mutated, mutating

1. to change; alter.

2. Biology. to cause (a gene, cell, etc.) to undergo an alteration of one or more characteristics.

   The disease mutates the retina’s rod cells, and they slowly stop working.

3. Phonetics. to change by umlaut.

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verb (used without object)

mutated, mutating

1. to undergo change.

   It was a gamble to mutate from hard rock frontman to big band crooner, but he went seriously retro and won that bet in a huge way.

2. Biology. (of a gene, cell, etc.) to undergo an alteration of one or more characteristics.

   Drug-resistant cells mutate more quickly and could migrate into surrounding tissue.

mutate British  

/ mjuːˈteɪtɪv, ˈmjuːtətɪv, mjuːˈteɪt /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

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Other Word Forms

• mutative adjective
• nonmutative adjective
• unmutated adjective
• unmutative adjective

Etymology

Origin of mutate

First recorded in 1810–20; from Latin mūtātus, past participle of mūtare “to change”; -ate ¹

Example Sentences

"It's becoming increasingly clear that many pathogens are able to quickly mutate. Like the proverbial leopard that changes its spots, a virus can change the antigens on its surface," Pulendran said.

From Science Daily

And while some of those aural elements still exist today, “Amores Perros” also serves as a time capsule of a city that has evolved and mutated incessantly.

From Los Angeles Times

Flu hit early this winter with a new mutated version of the virus circulating.

From BBC

Flu has hit a month earlier than normal, with a newly mutated version of the virus circulating.

From BBC

To confirm the identity of these early mutated cells, the team used "spatial transcriptomics" -- a cutting-edge analysis technology that shows "which genes are operating where" simultaneously.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• alter
• modify