Metamere Met"a·mere noun [ Prefix meta- + -mere .] (Biol.) One of successive or homodynamous parts in animals and plants; one of a series of similar parts that follow one another in a vertebrate or articulate animal, as in an earthworm; a segment; a somite. See Illust. of Loeven's larva .

Metameric Met`a·mer"ic adjective [ Prefix meta- + Greek ... part.] 1. (Chemistry) Having the same elements united in the same proportion by weight, and with the same molecular weight, but possessing a different structure and different properties; as, methyl ether and ethyl alcohol are metameric compounds. See Isomeric .

» The existence of metameric compounds is due to the different arrangement of the same constituents in the molecule.

2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to a metamere or its formation; as, metameric segmentation.

Metamerically Met`a·mer"ic·al·ly adverb In a metameric manner.

Metamerism Me·tam"er·ism noun 1. (Biol.) The symmetry of a metameric structure; serial symmetry; the state of being made up of metameres.

2. (Chemistry) The state or quality of being metameric; also, the relation or condition of metameric compounds.

Metamorphic Met`a·mor"phic adjective [ See Metamorphosis .] 1. Subject to change; changeable; variable.

2. Causing a change of structure.

3. (Geol.) Pertaining to, produced by, or exhibiting, certain changes which minerals or rocks may have undergone since their original deposition; -- especially applied to the recrystallization which sedimentary rocks have undergone through the influence of heat and pressure, after which they are called metamorphic rocks.

Metamorphism Met`a·mor"phism noun (Geol.) The state or quality of being metamorphic; the process by which the material of rock masses has been more or less recrystallized by heat, pressure, etc., as in the change of sedimentary limestone to marble. Murchison.

Metamorphist Met`a·mor"phist noun (Eccl.) One who believes that the body of Christ was merged into the Deity when he ascended.

Metamorphize Met`a·mor"phize transitive verb To metamorphose.

Metamorphose Met`a·mor"phose transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Metamorphosed ; present participle & verbal noun Metamorphosing .] [ Confer French métamorphoser .] To change into a different form; to transform; to transmute.

And earth was metamorphosed into man.

Dryden.

Metamorphose Met`a·mor"phose noun [ Confer French métamorphose . See Metamorphosis .] Same as Metamorphosis .

Metamorphoser Met`a·mor"pho·ser noun One who metamorphoses. [ R.] Gascoigne.

Metamorphosic Met`a·mor"pho·sic adjective Changing the form; transforming. [ R.] Pownall.

Metamorphosis Met`a·mor"pho·sis noun ; plural Metamorphoses . [ Latin , from Greek ..., from ... to be transformed; meta` beyond, over + morfh` form.]

1. Change of form, or structure; transformation.

2. (Biol.) A change in the form or function of a living organism, by a natural process of growth or development; as, the metamorphosis of the yolk into the embryo, of a tadpole into a frog, or of a bud into a blossom. Especially, that form of sexual reproduction in which an embryo undergoes a series of marked changes of external form, as the chrysalis stage, pupa stage, etc., in insects. In these intermediate stages sexual reproduction is usually impossible, but they ultimately pass into final and sexually developed forms, from the union of which organisms are produced which pass through the same cycle of changes. See Transformation .

3. (Physiol.) The change of material of one kind into another through the agency of the living organism; metabolism.

Vegetable metamorphosis (Botany) , the doctrine that flowers are homologous with leaf buds, and that the floral organs are transformed leaves.

Metanauplius Met`a·nau"pli·us noun [ New Latin See Meta- , and Nauplius .] (Zoology) A larval crustacean in a stage following the nauplius, and having about seven pairs of appendages.

Metanephritic Met`a·ne·phrit"ic adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metanephros.

Metanephros Met`a·neph"ros noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... behind + ... kidney.] (Anat.) The most posterior of the three pairs of embryonic renal organs developed in many vertebrates.

Metanotum Met`a·no"tum noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... behind + ... back.] (Zoology) The dorsal portion of the metaphorax of insects.

Metantimonate Met`an·ti·mo"nate noun (Chemistry) A salt of metantimonic acid.

Metantimonic Met`an·ti·mon"ic adjective [ Prefix met- + antimonic .] (Chemistry) (a) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid (formerly called antimonic acid ) analogous to metaphosphoric acid, and obtained as a white amorphous insoluble substance, (HSbO ₃ ). (b) Formerly, designating an acid, which is now properly called pyroantimonic acid , and analogous to pyrophosphoric acid .

Metapectic Met`a·pec"tic adjective [ Prefix meta- + pectic .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a supposed acid obtained from pectin.

Metapectin Met`a·pec"tin noun (Chemistry) A substance obtained from, and resembling, pectin, and occurring in overripe fruits.

Metapeptone Met`a·pep"tone noun [ Prefix meta- + peptone .] (Physiol. Chem.) An intermediate product formed in the gastric digestion of albuminous matter.

Metaphor Met"a·phor (mĕt"ȧ*fẽr) noun [ French métaphore , Latin metaphora , from Greek metafora` , from metafe`rein to carry over, transfer; meta` beyond, over + fe`rein to bring, bear.] (Rhet.) The transference of the relation between one set of objects to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a compressed simile; e. g. , the ship plows the sea. Abbott & Seeley. "All the world's a stage." Shak.

» The statement, "that man is a fox," is a metaphor; but "that man is like a fox," is a simile, similitude, or comparison.

Metaphoric, Metaphorical Met`a·phor"ic, Met`a·phor"ic·al adjective [ Greek ...: confer French métaphorique .] Of or pertaining to metaphor; comprising a metaphor; not literal; figurative; tropical; as, a metaphorical expression; a metaphorical sense. -- Met`a*phor"ic*al*ly , adverb -- Met`a*phor"ic*al*ness , noun

Metaphorist Met"a·phor·ist noun One who makes metaphors.

Metaphosphate Met`a·phos"phate noun (Chemistry) A salt of metaphosphoric acid.

Metaphosphoric Met`a·phos·phor"ic adjective [ Prefix meta- + phosphoric .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or designating, a monobasic acid, HPO ₃ , analogous to nitric acid, and, by heating phosphoric acid, obtained as a crystalline substance, commonly called glacial phosphoric acid .

Metaphrase Met"a·phrase (mĕt"ȧ*frāz) noun [ Greek meta`frasis , from metafra`zein to paraphrase; meta` beyond, over + fra`zein to speak: confer French métaphrase .] 1. A verbal translation; a version or translation from one language into another, word for word; -- opposed to paraphrase . Dryden.

2. An answering phrase; repartee. Mrs. Browning.

Metaphrased Met"a·phrased (mĕt"ȧ*frāzd) adjective Translated literally.

Metaphrasis Me·taph"ra·sis (me*tăf"rȧ*sĭs) noun [ New Latin See Metaphrase .] Metaphrase.

Metaphrast Met"a·phrast noun [ Greek ...: confer French métaphraste .] A literal translator.

Metaphrastic, Metaphrastical Met`a·phras"tic, Met`a·phras"tic·al adjective [ Greek ....] Close, or literal.

Metaphysic Met`a·phys"ic noun [ Confer French métaphysique .] See Metaphysics .

Metaphysic Met`a·phys"ic adjective Metaphysical.

Metaphysical Met`a·phys"ic·al adjective [ Confer French métaphysique . See Metaphysics .] 1. Of or pertaining to metaphysics.

2. According to rules or principles of metaphysics; as, metaphysical reasoning.

3. Preternatural or supernatural. [ Obsolete]

The golden round
Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem
To have thee crowned withal.

Shak.

Metaphysically Met`a·phys"ic·al·ly adverb In the manner of metaphysical science, or of a metaphysician. South.

Metaphysician Met`a·phy·si"cian noun [ Confer French métaphysicien .] One who is versed in metaphysics.

Metaphysics Met`a·phys"ics noun [ Greek ... ... ... after those things which relate to external nature, after physics, from ... beyond, after + ... relating to external nature, natural, physical, from ... nature: confer French métaphysique . See Physics . The term was first used by the followers of Aristotle as a name for that part of his writings which came after , or followed, the part which treated of physics .] 1. The science of real as distinguished from phenomenal being; ontology; also, the science of being, with reference to its abstract and universal conditions, as distinguished from the science of determined or concrete being; the science of the conceptions and relations which are necessarily implied as true of every kind of being; philosophy in general; first principles, or the science of first principles.

» Metaphysics is distinguished as general and special . General metaphysics is the science of all being as being. Special metaphysics is the science of one kind of being; as, the metaphysics of chemistry, of morals, or of politics. According to Kant, a systematic exposition of those notions and truths, the knowledge of which is altogether independent of experience, would constitute the science of metaphysics.

Commonly, in the schools, called metaphysics , as being part of the philosophy of Aristotle, which hath that for title; but it is in another sense: for there it signifieth as much as "books written or placed after his natural philosophy." But the schools take them for "books of supernatural philosophy;" for the word metaphysic will bear both these senses.

Hobbes.

Now the science conversant about all such inferences of unknown being from its known manifestations, is called ontology, or metaphysics proper.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Metaphysics are [ is] the science which determines what can and what can not be known of being, and the laws of being, a priori.

Coleridge.

2. Hence: The scientific knowledge of mental phenomena; mental philosophy; psychology.

Metaphysics , in whatever latitude the term be taken, is a science or complement of sciences exclusively occupied with mind.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Whether, after all,
A larger metaphysics might not help
Our physics.

Mrs. Browning.

Metaphysis Me·taph"y·sis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... after + ... nature.] Change of form; transformation.

Metaplasm Met"a·plasm noun [ Latin metaplasmus , Greek ...; ... beyond, over + ... to mold: confer French métaplasme .] (Gram.) A change in the letters or syllables of a word.

Metaplast Met"a·plast noun [ See Metaplasm .] (Gram.) A word having more than one form of the root.

Metapode Met"a·pode noun [ New Latin metapodium , from Greek ... behind + ..., dim. of poy`s , podo`s , foot.] (Zoology) The posterior division of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda.

Metapodial Met`a·po"di·al adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metapodialia, or to the parts of the limbs to which they belong.

Metapodiale Met`a·po`di·a"le noun ; plural Metapodialia . [ New Latin See Metapode .] (Anat.) One of the bones of either the metacarpus or metatarsus.

Metapodium Met`a·po"di·um noun ; plural Metapodia . [ New Latin ] (Zoology) Same as Metapode .

Metapophysis Met`a·poph"y·sis noun ; plural Metapophyses . [ New Latin See Meta- , and Apophysis .] (Anat.) A tubercle projecting from the anterior articular processes of some vertebræ; a mammillary process.

Metapterygium Me·tap`te·ryg"i·um noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... after + ... fin.] (Anat.) The posterior of the three principal basal cartilages in the fins of fishes. -- Me*tap`ter*yg"i*al adjective

Metasilicate Met`a·sil"i·cate noun (Chemistry) A salt of metasilicic acid.

Metasilicic Met`a·si·lic"ic adjective [ Prefix meta- + silicic .] (Chemistry) Designating an acid derived from silicic acid by the removal of water; of or pertaining to such an acid.

» The salts of metasilicic acid are often called bisilicates , in mineralogy, as Wollastonite (CaSiO ₃ ).

Metasilicic acid (Chemistry) , a gelatinous substance, or white amorphous powder, analogous to carbonic acid, and forming many stable salts.

Metasomatism Met`a·so"ma·tism noun [ Prefix meta- + Greek ..., ..., body.] (Geol.) An alteration in a mineral or rock mass when involving a chemical change of the substance, as of chrysolite to serpentine; -- opposed to ordinary metamorphism , as implying simply a recrystallization. -- Met`a*so*mat"ic adjective

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