transmutation
Americannoun
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the act or process of transmuting.
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the fact or state of being transmuted.
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change into another nature, substance, form, or condition.
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Biology. the transformation of one species into another.
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Physics. any process in which a nuclide is transformed into a different nuclide, usually one of a different element.
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Alchemy. the supposed conversion of base metals into metals of greater value, especially into gold or silver.
noun
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the act or an instance of transmuting
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the change of one chemical element into another by a nuclear reaction
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the attempted conversion, by alchemists, of base metals into gold or silver
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transmutation
1350–1400; Middle English transmutacio ( u ) n (< Old French transmutation ) < Latin trānsmūtātiōn- (stem of trānsmūtātiō ) a changing, shifting, equivalent to trānsmūtāt ( us ) (past participle of trānsmūtāre to change) + -iōn- -ion. See transmute, -ation
Vocabulary lists containing transmutation
Nuclear Processes
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Physics - High School
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"Hamlet's Dull Revenge," Vocabulary from the literary criticism
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Every day, I became less convinced by complete purification as a means of enlightenment, and more interested in curation, transmutation and integration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2025
It's difficult for researchers to make these kinds of observations; in fact, they are not able to directly observe acts of transmutation.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 16, 2024
Indeed, when Soddy realized what was going on, he shouted to his colleague: "Rutherford, this is transmutation!"
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2023
The sculpture relates to “yearning for freedom and transmutation in constricting situations,” Monteiro says.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
He had distilled it at the age of sixteen, enabling him to work miracles, among them the highest aspiration of the ancient art: the transmutation of lead into gold.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
