variant

variant /var·i·ant/ (var´e-ant)

1. something that differs in some characteristic from the class to which it belongs.

2. exhibiting such variation.

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var·i·ant (vâr-nt, vr-)

adj.

1. Having or exhibiting variation; differing.

2. Tending or liable to vary; variable.

3. Deviating from a standard, usually by only a slight difference.

n.

Something that differs in form only slightly from something else.

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variant

an organism or tissue that is different from the majority of the population but is still sufficiently similar to the common mode to be considered to be one of them, e.g. a variant strain of classical swine fever (hog cholera) virus.