mutate

mutate
[[t]mjuːte͟ɪt, AM mju͟ːteɪt[/t]]
mutates, mutating, mutated
1) V-ERG If an animal or plant mutates, or something mutates it, it develops different characteristics as the result of a change in its genes.

The virus mutates in the carrier's body...

[V into n] A newer anti-HIV drug called pyridinone caused HIV to mutate into a form which could not reproduce or infect new cells...

[V n] The technique has been to mutate the genes by irradiation or chemicals...

[V-ed] He found evidence of mutated forms of the gene. [Also V n into n]

Derived words:
mutation [[t]mjuːte͟ɪʃ(ə)n[/t]] plural N-VAR

Scientists have found a genetic mutation that appears to be the cause of Huntington's disease.

2) VERB If something mutates into something different, it changes into that thing.

[V into n] Overnight, the gossip begins to mutate into headlines.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • mutate — index convert (change use), transform, vary Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • mutate — (v.) to change state or condition, 1818, back formation from MUTATION (Cf. mutation). In genetic sense, 1913, from L. mutatus, pp. of mutare to change (see MUTABLE (Cf. mutable)). Related: Mutated; mutating …   Etymology dictionary

  • mutate — ► VERB ▪ undergo mutation …   English terms dictionary

  • mutate — [myo͞o′tāt΄] vi., vt. mutated, mutating [< L mutatus, pp. of mutare, to change: see MISS1] to change; specif., to undergo or cause to undergo mutation …   English World dictionary

  • mutate — mu|tate [mju:ˈteıt US ˈmju:teıt] v [Date: 1700 1800; : Latin; Origin: , past participle of mutare [i] to change ] 1.) if an animal or plant mutates, it becomes different from others of the same kind, because of a change in its ↑genetic structure… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • mutate — [19] Semantically, mutate is probably the most direct English descendant of the Indo European base *moi , *mei ‘change, exchange’, which has also given English mad, mean ‘unworthy, ignoble’, municipal, mutual [15] (from Latin mūtuus ‘exchanged,… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • mutate — UK [mjuːˈteɪt] / US [ˈmjuˌteɪt] verb [intransitive] Word forms mutate : present tense I/you/we/they mutate he/she/it mutates present participle mutating past tense mutated past participle mutated biology to become physically different from other… …   English dictionary

  • mutate — [19] Semantically, mutate is probably the most direct English descendant of the Indo European base *moi , *mei ‘change, exchange’, which has also given English mad, mean ‘unworthy, ignoble’, municipal, mutual [15] (from Latin mūtuus ‘exchanged,… …   Word origins

  • mutate — verb Mutate is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑gene, ↑virus …   Collocations dictionary

  • Mutate (comics) — The term Mutate refers to most non mutant superbeings in the Marvel Comics universe. See below for other uses. Contents 1 History 2 In Disney s Gargoyles 3 Non human mutates 4 …   Wikipedia

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