[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

variant \va"riant\, a. l. varians, p. pr. of variare to
   change: cf. f. variant. see vary.
   1. varying in form, character, or the like; variable;
      different; diverse.
      1913 webster

   2. changeable; changing; fickle. obs.
      1913 webster

            he is so variant, he abit abides nowhere.
                                                  --chaucer.
      1913 webster
see also:
vary 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

variant \va"riant\, n. cf. f. variante.
   something which differs in form from another thing, though
   really the same; as, a variant from a type in natural
   history; a variant of a story or a word.
   1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

variant
     adj : differing from a norm or standard; "a variant spelling"
     n 1: an event that departs from expectations syn: discrepancy,
           variance
     2: biology a group of organisms within a species that differ
        in trivial ways from similar groups; "a new strain of
        microorganisms" syn: form, strain, var.
     3: a variable quantity that is random syn: random variable,
        variate, stochastic variable, chance variable
     4: something a little different from others of the same type;
        "an experimental version of the night fighter"; "an emery
        wheel is a modern variant of the grindstone"; "the boy is
        a younger edition of his father" syn: version, variation,
         edition
see also:
discrepancy variance form strain var. random variable 
variate stochastic variable chance variable version variation 
edition 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

87 moby thesaurus words for "variant":
   altering, alternative, antagonistic, antipathetic, assorted,
   at cross-purposes, at loggerheads, at odds, at variance, at war,
   changing, clashing, contradictory, contrary, contrasted,
   contrasting, cranky, cross, departing, deviant, deviating,
   deviative, different, differentiated, differing, disaccordant,
   disagreeable, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, discrete,
   discriminated, disharmonious, disjoined, disparate,
   disproportionate, dissident, dissimilar, dissonant, distinct,
   distinguished, divergent, diverging, divers, diverse, diversified,
   grating, heterogeneous, hostile, immiscible, in disagreement,
   inaccordant, incompatible, incongruous, inconsistent, inconsonant,
   inharmonious, irreconcilable, jangling, jarring, many,
   modification, motley, multifarious, negative, out of accord,
   out of whack, poles apart, poles asunder, repugnant, separate,
   separated, several, unconformable, uncongenial, unequal,
   unharmonious, unlike, unstable, variable, variation, varied,
   variegated, various, varying, widely apart, worlds apart

Variant >> V Words
Variant, definition of term: Variant
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