mut-

(Latin: change, changeable)

commute (verb), commutes; commuted; commuting
1. To travel some distance between one's home and place of work on a regular basis: Mark commutes to work by train every day.
2 To reduce a judicial sentence; especially, a sentence of death to one that is less severe: The judge commuted Sam's death sentence to life in prison.
immutable (adjective), more immutable, most immutable
Pertaining to conditions that can't be changed, and so they are stable, permanent, or perpetual: Unfortunately, there are many immutable things in this world that all of us must learn to live with whether we like them or not.

All societies have people with immutable habits which can cause problems when their leaders want to make changes that could improve the equality of life for everyone.

Conveying a situation that is not changeable.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Descriptive of being unchangeable but permanent.
© ALL rights are reserved.

A reference to being incapable of change.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

molt (verb), molts; molted; molting
1. To lose or change a covering of skin, hair, feathers, etc. and to replace them with new growth in the same places: Snakes mold as they grow larger, shedding the old skin and growing larger new skin.
2. Etymology: from Latin mutare, "to change".
mutable (adjective), more mutable, most mutable
1. Descriptive of something that is likely to change very often: The government's mutable policies regarding economic plans can be very disturbing for a lot of people.

The mutable weather is present just about everywhere in the world because it is rarely the same from one day to the next.

2. Inconsistent, unstable, or fickle: Mac's psychiatric counselor told him that he has a mutable nature that makes him unsuitable for marriage.
Characteristic of being inconsistent and easily capable of changing one's mind.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

mutant (s) (noun), mutants (pl)
1. A plant or animal that is different from other plants or animals of the same kind because of a change in the structure of their genes.
2. Etymology: from Latin mutant- "changing"; from the verb mutare, "to change".
mutant (adjective), more mutant, most mutant
A reference to any individual or organism with genetic material that has undergone a change; such as a loss, gain, or exchange which affects the normal transmission and expression of a trait or a characteristic.
mutate (verb), mutates; mutated; mutating
To change and to cause an unusual characteristic to develop in a plant or an animal.
mutation (s) (noun), mutations (pl)
A change in the genes of a plant or an animal that causes physical characteristics which are different from what is normal.
permutation (s) (noun), permutations (pl)
1. Concurrent or mutual changes or transformations: The ancient alchemist was convinced that it was possible to have a permutation of iron into gold.
2. An arrangement of something in different groupings: The permutations of the letters a, b, and c are abc, acb, bac, bca, cab, and cba.
A reference to a complete change in character, condition, etc.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

permute (verb), permutes; permuted; permuting
1. To submit to a process of an alteration or rearrangement of something.
2. Etymology: from Latin permutare, "to change completely", from per-, "through, completely’"+ mutare, "to change".
transmutation (s) (noun), transmutations (pl)
1. A complete change of the appearance, form, or nature of someone or something: Jim's ten-year old son is a transmutation of an amateur into a talented professional musician.

Ann's transmutations of sketches into works of outstanding art enticed many people to visit her exhibition.

More communities have successfully made transmutations of water power into electrical power.

2. The process of modifying a situation from one condition to another one: One example of transmutation can be when a person is having trouble making a final decision about how to accomplish an objective or how to get something done.
Having trouble trying to make up one's mind.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

transmute (verb), transmutes; transmuted; transmuting
To change in form, nature, or substance into something completely different.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "another, other, different, alternating, varied, changing": ali-; allo-; alter-; allelo-; hetero-; poikilo-; reciproc-; vari-.