Mutantとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (英国発音) IPA: /ˈmjuːtənt/
• (米国発音) IPA: /ˈmju(t)n̩(t)/
• ハイフネーション: mu‧tant
• 韻: -uːtənt

名詞

mutant (plural mutants)

1. (genetics) That which has mutated, with one or more new characteristics from a mutation.
   • 1918, Paul Popenoe, Roswell Hill Johnson, Applied Eugenics‎:

     Furthermore, it is possible that there occasionally arises what may be called a mutant of very desirable character from a eugenic point of view.

   • 1922, John Burroughs, The Last Harvest‎:

     There does seem to have been some mutation among plants […] but in animal life where are the mutants? When or where has a new species originated in this way?

   • 1953, E. Everett Evans, Man of Many Minds‎:

     "How did I ever get such ability?" he wondered. "No one else in our family has it. Am I some sort of a mutant? But if so, how or why? I never heard Dad or Mother mention it."

2. (informal) Someone or something that seems strange, abnormal, or bizarre.

   Your neighbor seems to be a mutant; he’s so cringy!

   • 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 364:

     She could really get to like this relationship with Raven, if it weren't for the fact that he's a homicidal mutant.

3. (computing) Synonym of mutex.

形容詞

mutant (not comparable)

1. (genetics) Of, relating to, undergoing (i.e. mutating), or resulting from change or mutation; that has undergone mutation.

   mutant DNA

   • 2018 April 16, Damian Carrington, “Scientists accidentally create mutant enzyme that eats plastic bottles”, in The Guardian‎:

     Scientists have created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles—by accident.

   • 2020 November 8, Ian Sample, “UK scientists seek mutant Covid samples from Danish mink farms”, in The Guardian‎:

     Researchers at the SSI found that antibodies from people who recovered from coronavirus were less effective at neutralising the mutant strain, but have not made details of their experiments public.

2. (informal) Strange, abnormal, or bizarre.

   Your mutant brother just growled at me again!

   • 2020 August 26, Heather Stewart, quoting Boris Johnson, “Boris Johnson blames ‘mutant algorithm’ for exams fiasco”, in The Guardian‎:

     Boris Johnson got an angry response after telling school pupils that the exam results crisis was caused by a “mutant algorithm” and he was glad it had been “sorted out”.

派生語

関連する語

• mutate
• mutation

Further reading

• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “mutant”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “mutant”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.