mu·ta·tion

mu·ta·tion (my-tshn)
n.

1. The act or process of being altered or changed.
2. An alteration or change, as in nature, form, or quality.
3. Genetics.
   1. A change of the DNA sequence within a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the parental type.
   2. The process by which such a change occurs in a chromosome, either through an alteration in the nucleotide sequence of the DNA coding for a gene or through a change in the physical arrangement of a chromosome.
   3. A mutant.
4. Linguistics. The change that is caused in a sound by its assimilation to another sound, such as umlaut.

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[Middle English mutacioun, from Old French mutacion, from Latin mtti, mttin-, from past participle of mtre, to change. See mutate.]

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mu·tation·al adj.
mu·tation·al·ly adv.