mutate

[ myoo-teyt ]

verb (used with object)

, mu·tat·ed, mu·tat·ing.

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.

verb (used without object)

, mu·tat·ed, mu·tat·ing.

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

/ mjuːˈteɪtɪv; mjuːˈteɪt; ˈmjuːtətɪv /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo mutation

Derived Forms

• mutative, adjective

Other Words From

• mu·ta·tive [myoo, -t, uh, -tiv], adjective
• non·mu·ta·tive adjective
• un·mu·tat·ed adjective
• un·mu·ta·tive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mutate¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of mutate¹

C19: from Latin mūtātus changed, from mūtāre to change

Example Sentences

Yet even as airports have taken aggressive steps to keep travelers safe, they are battling a virus that continues to mutate in ways that make it more contagious and possibly more deadly, researchers said.

From Washington Post

As viruses move from person to person, they mutate at a predictable pace, and over a chain of transmissions, those mutations accumulate.

From Popular-Science

Numbers one and two detected against the SARS-CoV-2 and number three detected any coronavirus, in case it mutated.

From Vox

Perhaps there hasn’t been enough time, and the coronavirus moves quickly and is now mutating, so its metaphors may change, too.

From Washington Post

Research suggests currently authorized vaccines will work against them, but there is always the frightening possibility that the virus will mutate enough that that’s no longer true.

From Time

He said, "Then, any survivors on earth will have to mutate into something other than mankind?"

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alter
• modify