mutant
/ˈmjuː.tənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmjuː.tənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmjuːtənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmjuːtənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmyü-tᵊnt/ (ame, mw)
mutant — 名詞
- mutantsingular
- mutantsplural
1. a living thing — such as a plant, animal, or cell — whose DNA has undergone a pe
突變生物
因基因永久改變而與同類不同的生物
a living thing — such as a plant, animal, or cell — whose DNA has undergone a permanent change, giving it features that differ from the normal type of its species.
Tunde's team discovered a mutant strain of bacteria that could break down plastic waste.
Tunde 的團隊發現了一種可以分解塑膠廢料的突變細菌菌株。
scientific: mutant strain of bacteria
The mutant frog had an extra set of legs, puzzling the researchers at the lab.
那隻突變青蛙多長了一雙腿，讓實驗室的研究人員困惑不已。
Ritu was born with a mutant gene that gives her natural immunity to a rare disease.
Ritu 天生帶有一種突變基因，使她對一種罕見疾病具有自然免疫力。
Antonia examined the mutant wheat plants to see why they resisted the fungus.
Antonia 仔細檢查了那些突變小麥植株，想知道它們為何能抵抗真菌感染。
文法句型
a mutant + noun (e.g. mutant gene, mutant strain)
用法筆記
Common in biology and science fiction. In popular culture, a mutant is often imagined as a person with superhuman abilities caused by genetic mutation.
常見錯誤
2. something that looks or feels unnatural, strange, and frightening — like a monst
怪物
外貌怪異恐怖、令人害怕的東西
something that looks or feels unnatural, strange, and frightening — like a monster in a horror story, or a person whose appearance or behaviour shocks others.
In the horror movie, a mutant with glowing yellow eyes crawled out of the sewer.
在那部恐怖片中，一隻雙眼發出黃光的怪物從下水道爬了出來。
figurative: mutant as a monster in fiction
Quinn described the old warehouse as a mutant of rusting metal and rotting wood.
Quinn 形容那間舊倉庫是生鏽金屬與腐朽木材的畸形組合體。
figurative pattern: a mutant of + noun phrase
Yuna felt like a social mutant after moving to a town where nobody spoke her language.
Yuna 搬到一個沒人說她語言的城鎮後，覺得自己像個社交異類。
The old bridge was a mutant of concrete and rusting cables that no one dared to cross.
那座舊橋是混凝土與生鏽鋼纜的古怪組合，沒有人敢走過去。
文法句型
a mutant of + (qualities)
describe + someone/something + as a mutant
用法筆記
This sense is figurative and informal. It carries a strong negative emotional tone. Unlike sense 1, it has no connection to genetics or science.
mutant — 形容詞
- mutantpositive
- more mutantcomparative
- most mutantsuperlative
1. describes a living thing — a plant, animal, cell, or gene — whose genetic materi
突變的
基因發生永久改變而不同於同類的
describes a living thing — a plant, animal, cell, or gene — whose genetic material has changed permanently, so it no longer matches the normal type of its species.
Christopher spent the afternoon studying the mutant cells under a microscope.
Christopher 花了一整個下午在顯微鏡下研究那些突變細胞。
attributive: mutant cells
The mutant corn plants grew twice as tall as the ordinary ones in the field.
那些突變玉米植株長得比田裡的一般玉米高出兩倍。
Élise fed the mutant mice a special diet to see how their bodies would react.
Élise 給那些突變老鼠餵食特殊飼料，觀察牠們的身體會產生什麼反應。
Tamar planted the mutant seeds in separate pots to track their growth each week.
Tamar 把那些突變種子種在單獨的花盆裡，每週記錄它們的生長情形。
- mutated
emphasises the process of change rather than the resulting type
- genetically modified
broader; can refer to deliberate human intervention, not just natural mutation
文法句型
mutant + noun (describing a living thing with genetic changes)
用法筆記
Frequently used before a noun (attributive position). This is the most common form of the word in scientific writing. Do not confuse with 'mutated' — 'mutant' describes a state or type, while 'mutated' is the past participle emphasising the action of having changed.