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meta- definition
meta- (met′ə)
- change in position or form, alteration, transposition: metathesis, metasomatism
- after: metapneumonic
- behind, at the back: metanephros
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- between: metope
- Chem.
- a polymer of: metaldehyde
- a derivative of: metaprotein
- a less hydrated acid or salt: metaphosphoric acid
- characterized by substitutions in the 1, 3 position in the benzene ring: usually italicized and hyphenated in chemical names: meta-aminobenzoic acid
Origin: < Gr meta, along with, after, between, among < IE *meta < base *me-, between > mid
meta- or met-
prefix- a. Later in time: metestrus.b. At a later stage of development: metanephros.
- Situated behind: metacarpus.
- a. Change; transformation: metachromatism.b. Alternation: metagenesis.
- a. Beyond; transcending; more comprehensive: metalinguistics.b. At a higher state of development: metazoan.
- Having undergone metamorphosis: metasomatic.
- 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: Greek, from meta, beside, after; see me-2 in Indo-European roots.