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metaplasm
metaplasm definition
meta·plasm (met′ə plaz′əm)
noun
- that part of the contents of a cell which consists of lifeless matter, as certain fatty or starch granules
Etymology: L metaplasmus, an irregularity < Gr metaplasmes, formation of cases of nouns from a missing nom. < meta, over (see meta-) + plassein, to form (see plastic)
a change in a linguistic form made by the addition, omission, or transposition of a sound or sounds or a syllable or syllables
Related Forms:
- metaplasmic met′a·plas′·mic adjective
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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