mutate
[ myoo-teyt ]
/ ˈmyu teɪt /
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verb (used with object), mu·tat·ed, mu·tat·ing.
to change; alter.
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.
Phonetics. to change by umlaut.
verb (used without object), mu·tat·ed, mu·tat·ing.
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.
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.
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Origin of mutate
OTHER WORDS FROM mutate
mu·ta·tive [myoo-tuh-tiv], /ˈmyu tə tɪv/, adjectivenon·mu·ta·tive, adjectiveun·mu·tat·ed, adjectiveun·mu·ta·tive, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for mutate
British Dictionary definitions for mutate
mutate
/ (mjuːˈteɪt) /
verb
to undergo or cause to undergo mutation
Derived forms of mutate
mutative (ˈmjuːtətɪv, mjuːˈteɪtɪv), adjectiveWord Origin for mutate
C19: from Latin mūtātus changed, from mūtāre to change
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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