mutation

Meaning

Noun

• Any alteration or change.
• Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.
• A mutant.
• An alteration a particular sound of a word, especially the initial consonant, which is triggered by the word's morphological or syntactic context and not by its phonological context.
• A group of thrushes.

Origin

• Late 14th century as Middle English mutacioun, from Latin mutationem, both directly and via Old French mutacion, form of Latin mūtō ("I move, I change, I vary").