<B>methyl bromide,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless liquid produced from methyl alcohol and bromine, used to extinguish fires and to fumigate grain, fruit, and other produce. </DL>
<A NAME="methylcellulose">
<B>methyl cellulose,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a white substance prepared from wood pulp or cotton, used especially as a thickening agent, laxative, and adhesive. </DL>
<A NAME="methylchloride">
<B>methyl chloride,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless liquefiable gas produced from hydrochloric acid and methyl alcohol, used especially as a refrigerant, anesthetic, and solvent. <BR> <I>Ex. Methyl chloride is used to produce butyl rubber (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="methylcholanthrene">
<B>methylcholanthrene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a chemical used experimentally to produce cancer in animals. </DL>
<A NAME="methylene">
<B>methylene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Chemistry.) a bivalent hydrocarbon radical occurring only in combination, and regarded as derived from methane. <DD><B> 2. </B>(in commercial use) <B>=methyl alcohol.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="methyleneblue">
<B>methylene blue,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dark-green, crystalline compound used as a dye, as a stain in bacteriology, in medicine as an antidote for cyanide poisoning, and in the treatment of various diseases. <BR> <I>Ex. The methylene blue test on a milk sample measures one type of bacterial activity (Science News).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="methylenechloride">
<B>methylene chloride,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless nonflammable liquid used as a solvent, refrigerant, and local anesthetic. </DL>
<A NAME="methylic">
<B>methylic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Chemistry.) containing, relating to, or derived from the radical methyl (-CH3). </DL>
<A NAME="methylmercury">
<B>methylmercury, </B>noun, or <B>methyl mercury,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a highly toxic compound used as a seed disinfectant, fungicide, and pesticide. </DL>
<A NAME="methylmethacrylate">
<B>methyl methacrylate,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a tough, transparent plastic obtained by the polymerization of the methyl ester of methacrylic acid. It is sold under various trade names, such as Plexiglas and Lucite. </DL>
<A NAME="methylnaphthalene">
<B>methylnaphthalene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a compound obtained from coal tar, used (in the liquid alpha form) in ascertaining the cetane number of a fuel. </DL>
<A NAME="methylosis">
<B>methylosis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Geology.) that variety of metamorphism which involves change of chemical substance. </DL>
<A NAME="methylpentynol">
<B>methylpentynol, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a drug used as a sedative and hypnotic, as during childbirth. </DL>
<A NAME="methylphenidate">
<B>methylphenidate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a drug used as a stimulant in the treatment of various mental disorders and depressive states; Ritalin. </DL>
<A NAME="methylprednisolone">
<B>methylprednisolone, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a drug having uses similar to those of cortisone, such as the treatment of inflammations, asthma, and allergies. </DL>
<A NAME="methylsalicylate">
<B>methyl salicylate,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a heavy, volatile liquid either obtained from the leaves and bark of certain plants or prepared synthetically; oil of wintergreen. It is used in perfumes, as a food flavoring, and medicinally in liniments. </DL>
<A NAME="methylstyrene">
<B>methyl styrene,</B> or <B>methylstyrene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a monomer used in the production of various polymers, such as heat-resistant plastics. </DL>
<A NAME="methyltestosterone">
<B>methyltestosterone, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a synthetic male sex hormone used especially in the treatment of glandular deficiency, breast cancer, and disorders of the uterus. </DL>
<A NAME="methysergide">
<B>methysergide, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a drug derived from the fungal nerve poison ergot. <BR> <I>Ex. Methysergide ... is effective in reducing the number and severity of migraine headaches in about 70 per cent of patients (Jane E. Brody).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metic">
<B>metic, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a resident alien in an ancient Greek city, having some of the privileges of citizenship. <BR> <I>Ex. A metic, or foreigner, could not be naturalized as an Athenian citizen, nor could his children become citizens (William F. McDonald).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metical">
<B>metical, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the unit of money of Mozambique, introduced in 1980. <BR> <I>Ex. Mozambique changed its currency from the escudo to the metical, at the same value (Kenneth Ingham).</I> </DL>
<B>meticulosity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being meticulous. </DL>
<A NAME="meticulous">
<B>meticulous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> extremely or excessively careful about small details. <BR> <I>Ex. He had throughout been almost worryingly meticulous in his business formalities (Arnold Bennett).</I> (SYN) scrupulous. adv. <B>meticulously.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="meticulousness">
<B>meticulousness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> extreme care about minute details; scrupulousness. <BR> <I>Ex. Only the auditor's meticulousness uncovered the embezzling teller.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metier">
<B>metier, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a trade; profession. <DD><B> 2. </B>a kind of work for which a person hasspecial ability. <BR> <I>Ex. a Yale boy who's finally found his metier (New Yorker).</I> (SYN) specialty. </DL>
<A NAME="metis">
<B>metis, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tis.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person of mixed descent. <BR> <I>Ex. There was distinct advantage in being a metis--the offspring of a foreigner and a Vietnamese (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S.) an octoroon. <DD><B> 3. </B>(in Canada) a person of white (especially French) and American Indian descent. </DL>
<A NAME="metis">
<B>Metis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Greek Mythology.) a goddess personifying wisdom whom Zeus swallowed after hearing a prophecy that said she would bear him a child wiser than he. The child, Athena, was born through Zeus's forehead. </DL>
<A NAME="metisse">
<B>metisse, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a female metis. </DL>
<A NAME="meto">
<B>METO</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> Middle East Treaty Organization. </DL>
<A NAME="metol">
<B>Metol, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a soluble, whitish powder, much used as the base for photographic developers. </DL>
<A NAME="meton">
<B>meton.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> metonymy. </DL>
<A NAME="metonic">
<B>Metonic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with Meton, an Athenian astronomer of the 400's B.C. </DL>
<A NAME="metoniccycle">
<B>Metonic cycle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a cycle of 19 years or 235 lunar months, after which the phases of the moon recur on the same days of the calendar as in the previous cycle. </DL>
<A NAME="metonym">
<B>metonym, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a word used in a transferred sense. </DL>
<B>metonymical, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with or involving metonymy. adv. <B>metonymically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metonymy">
<B>metonymy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a figure of speech that consists in substituting for the name of a thing an attribute of it or something which it naturally suggests. (Example:) The <I>pen</I> (power of literature) is mightier than the <I>sword</I> (force). </DL>
<A NAME="metoo">
<B>me-too, </B>adjective, verb, <B>-tooed,</B> <B>-tooing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD><I>adj. </I> (in politics) characterized by me-tooism; adopting the successful ideas of an opponent expediently. <BR> <I>Ex. a me-too platform, candidate, or policy.</I> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to say "me-too" about, in favor of, or against a political proposal, doctrine, or the like; imitate or adopt (an opponent's political platform). <BR> <I>Ex. A senator has little to gain politically merely by me-tooing the liberality of the House (Newsweek).</I> noun <B>me-tooer.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="metooism">
<B>me-tooism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) the adoption of the political line of the opposition. </DL>
<A NAME="metope">
<B>metope, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one of the square spaces, decorated or plain, between the triglyphs in a Doric frieze. </DL>
<A NAME="metopic">
<B>metopic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the forehead; frontal. </DL>
<A NAME="metopon">
<B>metopon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a narcotic derived from morphine. </DL>
<A NAME="metralgia">
<B>metralgia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> pain in the uterus. </DL>
<B>metre, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially British and Canadian.) meter (1). </DL>
<A NAME="metrecal">
<B>Metrecal, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Trademark.) a low-calorie food substitute. </DL>
<A NAME="metric">
<B>metric, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of the meter or the metric system. <BR> <I>Ex. metric measurements. The gram is a metric unit.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>using or used to a metric system of measurement. <BR> <I>Ex. In a metric Britain, Manchester will be 296 km from London, not 184 miles (New Scientist).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=metrical.</B> <DD><I>noun </I> metrical style, composition, or arrangement. <BR> <I>Ex. A new metric, a new emphasis on narrative, ... distinguish Dickey's maturity from his early work (Peter Davison).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>go metric,</B> </I>to adopt the metric system of measurement. <BR> <I>Ex. Going metric will not deprive us of the use of fractions where they are convenient: we can continue to count in halves and quarters as well as in twos, tens, and dozens (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metrical">
<B>metrical, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of meter; having a regular arrangement of accents; written in verse, not in prose. <BR> <I>Ex. a metrical translation of Homer.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>of, having to do with, or used in measurement; metric. </DL>
<A NAME="metrically">
<B>metrically, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in meter; according to meter. </DL>
<A NAME="metricate">
<B>metricate, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>-cated,</B> <B>-cating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to change to the metric system. <BR> <I>Ex. Nine-tenths of the world is already metricated, or going metric (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="metrication">
<B>metrication, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or process of changing to the metric system. </DL>
<A NAME="metricator">
<B>metricator</B> or <B>metricater, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) a supporter of metrication. </DL>
