variation

Etymology

From Middle French variation, from Old French variacion, from Latin variātiō.

noun

1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing.
   Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better. 2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3
2. A related but distinct thing.
   When the process didn't work, we tried a variation.
   All of his soups are variations on a single recipe.
   Selfishness has different variations, but in the end it is all the same. May 10, 2020, “Cultivation Experience of a Young Practitioner Born in the 90s”, in Minghui
3. (nautical) The angular difference at the vessel between the direction of true north and magnetic north.
4. (board games) A line of play that differs from the original.
5. (music) A technique where material is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, counterpoint or orchestration; but with some invariant characteristic, e.g. a ground bass.
6. (genetics) The modification of a hereditary trait.
7. (astronomy) Deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body.