Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - transform

 I. verb  Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French ~er, from Latin ~are, from trans- + formare to form, from forma form  Date: 14th century  transitive verb  1.  a. to change in composition or structure  b. to change the outward form or appearance of  c. to change in character or condition ; convert  2. to subject to mathematical ~ation  3. to cause (a cell) to undergo genetic ~ation  intransitive verb to become ~ed ; change  • ~able adjective  • ~ative adjective Synonyms:  ~, metamorphose, transmute, convert, transmogrify, transfigure mean to change a thing into a different thing. ~ implies a major change in form, nature, or function ~ed a small company into a corporate giant. metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas. transmute implies ~ing into a higher element or thing attempted to transmute lead into gold. convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function converted the study into a nursery. transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince. transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies joy transfigured her face.  II. noun  Date: 1853  1. a mathematical element obtained from another by ~ation  2. ~ation 3a(1), (2)  3. a linguistic structure (as a sentence) produced by means of a ~ation “the duckling is killed by the farmer” is a ~ of “the farmer kills the duckling”