Webster's English Dictionary

mutation

Cross references:
  1. change                
 
mu.ta.tion \myu:-'ta--sh*n\ \-shn*l, -sh*n-*l\ \-e-\ \'myu:-.ta-t-iv, 
   'myu:t-*t-\ n 1: a significant and basic alteration : CHANGE  2: UMLAUT  
   3a: a hypothetical sudden fundamental change in heredity producing new indi 
   viduals basically unlike their parents 3b: a relatively permanent change in 
   hereditary material involving either a  physical change in chromosome 
   relations or a fundamental change in genes and occurring either in germ 
   cells or in somatic cells but with only those in germ cells being capable 
   of perpetuation by sexual reproduction 3c1: an individual or strain 
   resulting from mutation  3c2: an animal of a domesticated strain that 
   differs esp. in coat color fro m the wild type - mu.ta.tion.al aj