Noun: transmutation ,tranz-myoo'tey-shun
- An act that changes the form, character or substance of something
"The alchemist claimed to achieve the transmutation of lead into gold";
- transubstantiation
- A qualitative change
"The caterpillar's transmutation into a butterfly was a marvel of nature";
- transformation, shift
- (physics) the change of one chemical element into another (as by nuclear decay or radioactive bombardment)
"the transmutation of base metals into gold proved to be impossible"
Derived forms: transmutations
Type of: alteration, change, conversion, modification
Encyclopedia: Transmutation