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Metagastric

Of or pertaining to the two posterior gastric lobes of the carapace of crabs.

Metage

Measurement, especially of coal.

Metagenesis

The change of form which one animal species undergoes in a series of successively produced individuals, extending from the one developed from the ovum to the final perfected individual. Hence, metagenesis involves the production of sexual individuals by nonsexual means, either directly or through intervening sexless generations. Opposed to monogenesis. See Alternate generation, under Generation.

Metagnathous

Cross-billed; -- said of certain birds, as the crossbill.

Metagraphy

The art or act of rendering the letters of the alphabet of one language into the possible equivalents of another; transliteration.

Metal

To cover with metal; as, to metal a ship's bottom; to metal a road.

Metalammonium

A hypothetical radical derived from ammonium by the substitution of metallic atoms in place of hydrogen.

metalanguage

Any language that can be used to describe another language or system of symbols.

Metalbumin

A form of albumin found in ascitic and certain serous fluids. It is sometimes regarded as a mixture of albumin and mucin.

Metaldehyde

A white crystalline substance isomeric with, and obtained from, acetic aldehyde by polymerization, and reconvertible into the same.

Metalepsis

The continuation of a trope in one word through a succession of significations, or the union of two or more tropes of a different kind in one word.

Metalepsy

Exchange; replacement; substitution; metathesis.

Metallic

Of or pertaining to a metal; of the nature of metal; resembling metal; as, a metallic appearance; a metallic alloy.

Metallicly

In a metallic manner; by metallic means.

Metalline

A substance of variable composition, but resembling a soft, dark-colored metal, used in the bearings of machines for obviating friction, and as a substitute for lubricants.

Metallist

A worker in metals, or one skilled in metals.

Metallize

To impart metallic properties to; to impregnate with a metal.

Metallochrome

A coloring produced by the deposition of some metallic compound; specifically, the prismatic tints produced by depositing a film of peroxide of lead on polished steel by electricity.

Metallography

The science or art of metals and metal working; also, a treatise on metals.

Metallophone

An instrument like a pianoforte, but having metal bars instead of strings. An instrument like the xylophone, but having metallic instead of wooden bars.

Metallotherapy

Treatment of disease by applying metallic plates to the surface of the body.

Metallurgist

One who works in metals, or prepares them for use; one who is skilled in metallurgy.

Metallurgy

The art of working metals, comprehending the whole process of separating them from other matters in the ore, smelting, refining, and parting them; sometimes, in a narrower sense, only the process of extracting metals from their ores.

metalorganic

Pertaining to, or denoting, any one of a series of compounds of certain metallic elements with organic radicals; as, zinc methyl, sodium ethyl, etc.; now usually organometallic.

Metamer

Any one of several metameric forms of the same substance, or of different substances having the same composition; as, xylene has three metamers, viz., orthoxylene, metaxylene, and paraxylene; an isomer.

Metamere

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

Having the same molecular formula, but possessing a different bonding structure and different properties; as, methyl ether and ethyl alcohol are metameric compounds. See Isomeric.

Metamerism

The symmetry of a metameric structure; serial symmetry; the state of being made up of metameres.

Metamorphism

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.

Metamorphist

One who believes that the body of Christ was merged into the Deity when he ascended.

Metanauplius

A larval crustacean in a stage following the nauplius, and having about seven pairs of appendages.

Metanephros

The most posterior of the three pairs of embryonic renal organs developed in many vertebrates.

Metanotum

The dorsal portion of the metaphorax of insects.

Metantimonic

Pertaining to, or designating, an acid (formerly called antimonic acid) analogous to metaphosphoric acid, and obtained as a white amorphous insoluble substance, (HSbO3). Formerly, designating an acid, which is now properly called pyroantimonic acid, and analogous to pyrophosphoric acid.

Metapectic

Pertaining to, or designating, a supposed acid obtained from pectin.

Metapectin

A substance obtained from, and resembling, pectin, and occurring in overripe fruits.

Metapeptone

An intermediate product formed in the gastric digestion of albuminous matter.

metaphor

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.

Metaphorical Metaphoric

Of or pertaining to metaphor; comprising a metaphor; not literal; figurative; tropical; as, a metaphorical expression; a metaphorical sense.

metaphosphoric

Pertaining to, or designating, a monobasic acid, HPO3, analogous to nitric acid, and, by heating phosphoric acid, obtained as a crystalline substance, commonly called glacial phosphoric acid. Compare the tribasic orthophosphoric acid.

Metaphrase

A verbal translation; a version or translation from one language into another, word for word; a literal translation; -- opposed to paraphrase.

Metaphysically

In the manner of metaphysical science, or of a metaphysician.

Metaphysics

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.

Metaplasm

A change in the letters or syllables of a word.

Metaplast

A word having more than one form of the root.

Metapode

The posterior division of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda.

Metapodial

Of or pertaining to the metapodialia, or to the parts of the limbs to which they belong.

Metapodiale

One of the bones of either the metacarpus or metatarsus.

Metapophysis

A tubercle projecting from the anterior articular processes of some vertebrae; a mammillary process.

Metapterygium

The posterior of the three principal basal cartilages in the fins of fishes.

Metasilicic

Designating an acid derived from silicic acid by the removal of water; of or pertaining to such an acid.

Metasomatism

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.

Metasome

One of the component segments of the body of an animal.

Metastannic

Pertaining to, or designating, a compound of tin (metastannic acid), obtained, as an isomeric modification of stannic acid, in the form of a white amorphous substance.

metastasize

to spread from one part of the body to other parts, and grow there; to spread by metastasis{3}; -- said of cancer cells.

Metastatic

Of, pertaining to, or caused by, metastasis; as, a metastatic abscess; the metastatic processes of growth; a metastatic tumor.

Metasternum

The most posterior element of the sternum; the ensiform process; xiphisternum.

Metatarsal

Of or pertaining to the metatarsus. A metatarsal bone.

Metatarsus

That part of the skeleton of the hind or lower limb between the tarsus and phalanges; metatarse. It consists, in the human foot, of five bones. See Illustration in Appendix.

metate

A flat or somewhat hollowed stone upon which grain or other food is ground, by means of a smaller stone or pestle.

metatherian

Any of a group of primitive pouched mammals found mainly in Australia and the Americas.

Metathesis

Transposition, as of the letters or syllables of a word; as, pistris for pristis; meagre for meager.

Metathorax

The last or posterior segment of the thorax in insects. See Illust. of Coleoptera.

Metatitanic

Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid of titanium analogous to metasilicic acid.

Metatungstic

Of, pertaining to, or designating, an acid known only in its salts (the metatungstates) and properly called polytungstic, or pyrotungstic, acid.

Metavanadic

Of, pertaining to, or designating, a vanadic acid analogous to metaphosphoric acid.

Metaxylene

That variety of xylene, or dimethyl benzene, in which the two methyl groups occupy the meta position with reference to each other. It is a colorless inflammable liquid.

Metayer

One who cultivates land for a share (usually one half) of its yield, receiving stock, tools, and seed from the landlord; a type of sharecropper.

Metazoa

Those animals in which the protoplasmic mass, constituting the egg, is converted into a multitude of cells, which are metamorphosed into the tissues of the body. A central cavity is commonly developed, and the cells around it are at first arranged in two layers, -- the ectoderm and endoderm. The group comprises nearly all animals except the Protozoa.

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