noun
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The act or process of differentiating (generally, without a specialized sense).
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(biology) The process by which the components of multicellular life (cells, organs, etc.) are produced and acquire function, as when a seed develops the root and stem, and the initial stem develops the leaf, branches, and flower buds.
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(biology, evolution) The evolutionary process by which one taxonomic group (species, genus, variety, etc.) becomes distinct from another, or acquires distinct features; the result of such a process: distinctness.
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(geology) The process of separation of cooling magma into various rock types.
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(mathematics, calculus) The process of applying the derivative operator to a function; of calculating a function's derivative.