/ ˈmjuːtənt; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
( biology ) ( of a living thing ) different in some way from others of the same kind because of a change in its genetic structure :
a mutant gene
■ noun
1.
( biology ) a living thing with qualities that are different from its parents' qualities because of a change in its genetic structure
2.
( informal ) ( in stories about space, the future, etc. ) a living thing with an unusual and frightening appearance because of a change in its genetic structure
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WORD ORIGIN
early 20th cent.: from Latin mutant- changing, from the verb mutare .