— mutational , adj. — mutationally , adv.
/myooh tay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. Biol.
a. a sudden departure from the parent type in one or more heritable characteristics, caused by a change in a gene or a chromosome.
b. an individual, species, or the like, resulting from such a departure.
2. the act or process of changing.
3. a change or alteration, as in form or nature.
4. Phonet. umlaut.
5. Ling. (in Celtic languages) syntactically determined morphophonemic phenomena that affect initial sounds of words.
[ 1325-75; ME mutacio ( u ) n mutation- (s. of mutatio ) a changing. See MUTATE, -ION ]