meta-

The definition of meta is a person or thing that is more than usual or that goes above and beyond.

(adjective)

An example of meta used as an adjective are meta tags which are HTML tags that are hidden on a website screen but give search engines the title and description of the web screen.

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See meta- in Webster's New World College Dictionary

  1. change in position or form, alteration, transposition: metathesis, metasomatism
  2. after: metapneumonic
  3. behind, at the back: metanephros
  4. Origin: < supposed analogy to metaphysics

    going beyond or higher, transcending: used to form terms designating an area of study whose purpose is to examine the nature, assumptions, structure, etc. of a (specified) field: metalinguistics, metacriticism
  5. between: metope
  6. Chem.
    1. a polymer of: metaldehyde
    2. a derivative of: metaprotein
    3. a less hydrated acid or salt: metaphosphoric acid
    4. characterized by substitutions in the 1, 3 position in the benzene ring: usually italicized and hyphenated in chemical names: meta-aminobenzoic acid
Also (except for sense meta-), before a vowel, met-

Origin: < Gr meta, along with, after, between, among < IE *meta < base *me-, between > mid

See meta- in American Heritage Dictionary 4

A river, about 1,102 km (685 mi) long, of northeast Colombia flowing partially along the border with Venezuela.

or met-

prefix
  1. a. Later in time: metestrus.
    b. At a later stage of development: metanephros.
  2. Situated behind: metacarpus.
  3. a. Change; transformation: metachromatism.
    b. Alternation: metagenesis.
  4. a. Beyond; transcending; more comprehensive: metalinguistics.
    b. At a higher state of development: metazoan.
  5. Having undergone metamorphosis: metasomatic.
  6. a. Derivative or related chemical substance: metaprotein.
    b. Of or relating to one of three possible isomers of a benzene ring with two attached chemical groups, in which the carbon atoms with attached groups are separated by one unsubstituted carbon atom: meta-dibromobenzene.

Origin:

Origin: Greek

Origin: , from meta, beside, after; see me-2 in Indo-European roots

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