meta-

meta- [met′ə]

[< Gr meta, along with, after, between, among < IE * meta < base * me-, between > MID¹] prefix

1. change in position or form, alteration, transposition [metathesis, metasomatism]: equivalent to TRANS-

2. after [metapneumonic]: sometimes, as in medical terms, equivalent to POST-

3. behind, at the back [metanephros]: in anatomical terms, equivalent to DORSO-

4. [< 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]

5. between [metope]

6. Chem.

a) a polymer of [metaldehyde]

b) a derivative of [metaprotein]

c) a less hydrated acid or salt [metaphosphoric acid]: see ORTHO-, sense 4a

d) characterized by substitutions in the 1, 3 position in the benzene ring: usually italicized and hyphenated in chemical names [meta-aminobenzoic acid]: see PARA-¹, sense 2b, ORTHO-, sense 4b: Also (except for sense META- 6d), before a vowel, prefix met-