Main Entry: trans·for·ma·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌtran(t)s-fər-ˈmā-shən, -fȯr-\

Function: noun

Date: 15th century

1 : an act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed
2 : false hair worn especially by a woman to replace or supplement natural hair
3 a (1) : the operation of changing (as by rotation or mapping) one configuration or expression into another in accordance with a mathematical rule; especially : a change of variables or coordinates in which a function of new variables or coordinates is substituted for each original variable or coordinate (2) : the formula that effects a transformation b : function 5a c : an operation that converts (as by insertion, deletion, or permutation) one grammatical string (as a sentence) into another; also : a formal statement of such an operation
4 : genetic modification of a bacterium by incorporation of free DNA from another bacterial cell; also : genetic modification of a cell by the uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA