<B>metabiological, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with metabiology. </DL>
<A NAME="metabiology">
<B>metabiology, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a theory or philosophy of knowledge based on establishedbiological principles. </DL>
<A NAME="metabolic">
<B>metabolic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with or produced by metabolism. <BR> <I>Ex. The hormone was used to treat both hypothyroidism and metabolic insufficiency (Science News Letter).</I> adv. <B>metabolically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metabolism">
<B>metabolism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the process by which all living things turn food into energy and living tissue. In metabolism food is broken down to produce energy, which is then used by the body to build up new cells and tissues, provide heat, and engage in physical activity. Growth and action depend on metabolism. <BR> <I>Ex. Only living matter is able to carry on metabolism (A. M. Winchester).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the metamorphosis of an insect. </DL>
<A NAME="metabolite">
<B>metabolite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a substance produced by metabolism. </DL>
<A NAME="metabolize">
<B>metabolize, </B>verb, <B>-lized,</B> <B>-lizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to alter by or subject to metabolism. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to function in or undergo metabolism. <BR> <I>Ex. Before the seed can metabolize, all the enzymes ... must become active (Science News).</I> adj. <B>metabolizable.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metacarpal">
<B>metacarpal, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of or having to do with the metacarpus. <DD><I>noun </I> a bone of the metacarpus. <BR> <I>Ex. Five metacarpals support the palm of the hand (Harbough and Goodrich).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metacarpus">
<B>metacarpus, </B>noun, pl. <B>-pi.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the part of the hand, especially the bones, between the wrist and the fingers, comprising five bones in man. <DD><B> 2. </B>the corresponding part of the forefoot of a quadruped, between the carpus and the phalanges. </DL>
<A NAME="metacenter">
<B>metacenter, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the intersecting point of the vertical line passing through the center of buoyancy of a floating body, such as a ship, when in perfect equilibrium, and the vertical line passing through the center of buoyancy when the floating body is out of equilibrium. The floating body is stable if this point is above the center of gravity, and lacks stability if it is below. </DL>
<B>metacentric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the metacenter. </DL>
<A NAME="metachromatic">
<B>metachromatic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with metachromatism. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Anatomy.) assuming a different color from that of other tissues, when stained with a dye. </DL>
<A NAME="metachromatism">
<B>metachromatism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> change or variation of color, especially as a result of change of temperature or other physical condition. </DL>
<A NAME="metachrome">
<B>metachrome, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a body or substance that changes color. </DL>
<B>metagalactic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the metagalaxy. </DL>
<A NAME="metagalaxy">
<B>metagalaxy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-axies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the whole system of known galaxies, especially those outside the Milky Way. <BR> <I>Ex. The metagalaxy ... is essentially the measurable material universe (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metage">
<B>metage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the official measurement of contents or weight. <DD><B> 2. </B>the charge for it. </DL>
<A NAME="metagenesis">
<B>metagenesis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) alternation of sexual and asexual generations, such as occurs in some coelenterates. </DL>
<A NAME="metagenetic">
<B>metagenetic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with, characterized by, or resulting from metagenesis. </DL>
<A NAME="metagnathous">
<B>metagnathous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (of a bird) having the upper and lower tips of the mandibles crossed, as the crossbills. </DL>
<A NAME="metal">
<B>metal, </B>noun, adjective, verb, <B>-aled,</B> <B>-alling</B> or (especially British) <B>-alled,</B> <B>-alling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>any one of a group of chemical elements, such as iron, gold, silver, copper, lead, and tin. Metals usually have a shiny surface, are good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn out into wires. They also form alloys with each other. <BR> <I>Ex. Very few metals ... exist in the earth's crust in metallic form (Science News).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>any alloy or fused mixture of these, such as steel, bronze, brass, or pewter. <DD><B> c. </B>the constituent matter of a metal or of metals collectively; metallic substance. <BR> <I>Ex. a mirror of polished metal.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Chemistry.) any chemical element or mixture of chemical elements which lose electrons from their atoms in most chemical reactions and react with certain acids to form salts. In the salt the metal takes on a positive charge. <BR> <I>Ex. The positive valency of metals, and the fact that they form positive ions in solution, indicate that the atoms of a metal will part readily with one or more of their outer electrons (Sears and Zemansky).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an object made of metal, such as one of the rails of a railroad. <BR> <I>Ex. He had fallen from an engine, And been dragged along the metals (William E. Henley).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>broken stone, cinders, or rubble used for roads or as ballast for roadbeds or railroad tracks; road metal. <DD><B> 5. </B>the melted material that becomes glass or pottery, or the glaze on pottery. <DD><B> 6. </B>(Figurative.) <DD><B> a. </B>basic stuff; material; substance. <BR> <I>Ex. Cowards are not made of the same metal as heroes. ... the native metal of a man (James Russell Lowell).</I> <DD><B> b. </B><B>=mettle.</B> <DD><B> 7. </B>(Printing.) <DD><B> a. </B><B>=type metal.</B> <DD><B> b. </B>the state of being set or composed in type. <DD><B> 8. </B>the aggregate number, mass, or power of the guns of a warship. <DD><B> 9. </B>(Heraldry.) one of the three kinds of tincture (the other two being color and fur). The two heraldic metals are or (gold) and argent (silver). <DD><I>adj. </I> made of metal. <BR> <I>Ex. a metal container, a metal coin. Quonset huts are usually covered with metal sheeting.</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to furnish, cover, or fit with metal. adj. <B>metallike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metal">
<B>metal.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> metallurgy. </DL>
<A NAME="metalage">
<B>Metal Age,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the period including the Copper Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age; period when copper, bronze, and iron were used for making weapons and tools. </DL>
<A NAME="metalanguage">
<B>metalanguage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any language used to analyze or make assertions about another language. <BR> <I>Ex. The language of metaphysics is the metalanguage of science (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metalaw">
<B>metalaw, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any system of law beyond the present human frame of reference. <BR> <I>Ex. Metalaw is the system for dealing with the beings we will encounter in our exploration of the vast beyond (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metalclad">
<B>metalclad, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> coated or plated with metal. <BR> <I>Ex. metalclad switchgear.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metalfatigue">
<B>metal fatigue,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the cracking, disintegration, or other failure of a metal caused by small but repeated stress, such as continuous vibration or tapping. </DL>
<A NAME="metalhead">
<B>metalhead, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who is a devotee of heavy-metal music. <BR> <I>Ex. "I was under the impression he was a metalhead. He does like heavy metal. But he's unusually well read. He was reading Shakespeare" (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metalinguistic">
<B>metalinguistic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with metalinguistics; exolinguistic. </DL>
<A NAME="metalinguistics">
<B>metalinguistics, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a branch of linguistics that studies social, educational, and other cultural factors related to or involving language; exolinguistics. </DL>
<A NAME="metalist">
<B>metalist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a worker in metals. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person skilled in the knowledge of metals. </DL>
<A NAME="metalize">
<B>metalize, </B>transitive verb, <B>-ized,</B> <B>-izing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to make metallic; give the appearance or other characteristics of metal to. <DD><B> 2. </B>to cover or treat with a metal or a compound containing a metal. noun <B>metalization.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metall">
<B>metall.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> metallurgy. </DL>
<A NAME="metallic">
<B>metallic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of metal; containing metal; consisting of a metal or metals. <BR> <I>Ex. a metallic substance, metallic reactions, metallic vaults.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>like metal; characteristic of metal; that suggests metal. <BR> <I>Ex. the metallic luster of a Japanese beetle.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>resembling the sound produced when metal is struck. <BR> <I>Ex. a metallic voice. The bird ... broke into a gush of melody ... rich, full, and metallic (Henry Kingsley).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Chemistry.) having the form or outward characteristics of a metal (usually said of a metal when occurring uncombined with other substances). <BR> <I>Ex. metallic iron.</I> adv. <B>metallically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metallide">
<B>metallide, </B>transitive verb, <B>-lided,</B> <B>-liding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to subject (a metal) to metalliding. <BR> <I>Ex. Molybdenum, for example, is a relatively soft metal; when boron is metallided into it, the resulting surface alloy is apparently second in hardness only to diamond (Science News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metalliding">
<B>metalliding, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a process of strengthening the surface of metals by diffusing the atoms of one metal through high-temperature electrolysis into the surface of another. The resulting surface alloy is harder than any mechanically applied coating or plating. </DL>
