Mutation

Quick meaning: Mutation is a noun meaning Any alteration or change.

Meaning

Any alteration or change.

More Meanings

1. (genetics) Any heritable change of the base-pair sequence of genetic material.
2. A mutant.
3. (law) The transfer of title of an asset in a register.
4. (linguistics) An alteration in 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.
5. (rare, collective noun) A group of thrushes.

Example Sentences

Names for a group: A flute or mutation of thrushes.

Birdwatchers would enjoy a host of sparrows, a herd of swans, a descent of woodpeckers, a herd of wrens, and mutation of thrushes.

A Mutation of Thrushes The authors of the books of venery were not predicting Darwin with this term, but taking a cue from a common fable of the time.

Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, […]. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. These rarities may be new mutations, or they can be existing ones that are neutral—or are even selected against—in a wild population. A good example is mutations that disrupt seed dispersal, leaving the seeds on the heads long after they are ripe.

Word Forms

• mutations

Synonyms for mutation

Depending on context, synonyms include sport, mutant.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include mutant, sport, mutagenicity, mutagenesis, flux, variant.

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