meta-

change in position or form, alteration, transposition: metathesis, metasomatism
after: metapneumonic
behind, at the back: metanephros
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
between: metope
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