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transmutation definition

trans·mu·ta·tion (trans′myo̵̅o̅ tā′s̸hən, tranz′-)

noun

  1. a transmuting or being transmuted; change of one thing into another
  2. Rare a fluctuation
  3. in the Middle Ages, the supposedly possible conversion of base metals into gold and silver by alchemy
  4. Chem. the conversion of atoms of a given element into atoms of a different isotope or of a different element, as in radioactive disintegration or by nuclear bombardment

Etymology: ME transmutacioun < LL transmutatio < pp. of L transmutare

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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