First Known Use: 1818
Dictionary
mutate
verb mu·tate \ˈmyü-ˌtāt, myü-ˈ\
biology : to cause (a gene) to change and create an unusual characteristic in a plant or animal : to cause mutation in (a gene)
: to change and cause an unusual characteristic to develop in a plant or animal
: to change into something very different
mu·tat·edmu·tat·ing
Full Definition of MUTATE
intransitive verb
: to undergo mutation
transitive verb
: to cause to undergo mutation
— mu·ta·tive \ˈmyü-ˌtā-tiv, -tə-tiv\ adjective
See mutate defined for English-language learners
See mutate defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of MUTATE
Latin mutatus, past participle of mutare
Rhymes with MUTATE
abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate
MUTATE Defined for Kids
mutate
verb mu·tate \ˈmyü-ˌtāt\
mu·tat·edmu·tat·ing
Definition of MUTATE for Kids
: to undergo genetic mutation
Medical Dictionary
mutate
verb mu·tate \ˈmyü-ˌtāt, myü-ˈ\
mu·tat·edmu·tat·ing
Medical Definition of MUTATE
intransitive verb
: to undergo mutation
transitive verb
: to cause to undergo mutation
—mu·ta·tive \ˈmyü-ˌtāt-iv, ˈmyüt-ət-\ adjective
Learn More About MUTATE
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up mutate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).