Definition of the word transmute

The word "transmute" first appeared in the English language in the early 19th century, borrowed from the scientific term "transmutation" which refers to the process of changing one element into another. The origin of the term "transmutation" can be traced back to alchemy, an ancient philosophical and proto-scientific discipline that sought to transform common metals into gold and silver. Alchemists used the term "transmutation" to describe this process, which literally translates to "change"\ (trans) "of form"\ (mutare) in Latin. However, as modern science began to disprove the principles of alchemy, the concept of transmutation came to be understood in a different context. In chemistry, transmutation refers to the artificial transformation of one chemical element into another through nuclear reactions such as neutron bombardment, usually in a particle accelerator. The word "transmute" is a shorter, more concise way of describing this process, derived from "trans" (across) and "mutare" (change) in the same Latin root as "transmutation." In summary, the origin of the word "transmute" can be traced to alchemy, but its current meaning in modern science is very different from the philosophical and mystical connotations it once held.