Metathesis, me-tath′es-is, n. (gram.) a change of place of the letters or syllables of a word.—adjs. Metathet′ic, -al. [Gr.,—metatithenai, to transpose—meta, over, tithenai, to place.]
Metathorax, met-a-thō′raks, n. the third segment of an insect's thorax.—adj. Metathorac′ic.
Metatome, met′a-tōm, n. (archit.) the space between two dentils.
Metayer, me-tā′yėr, n. a farmer who pays, instead of money rent, a fixed proportion of the crops.—n. Metā′yage, this system. [Fr.,—Low L. medietarius—L. medietas, the half—medius, middle.]
Metazoa, met-a-zō′a, n.pl. many-celled animals possessing cellular differentiation:—opp. to single-celled Protozoa.—adjs. Metazō′an, Metazō′ic.—n.sing. Met′azōon. [Gr. meta, after, zōon, animal.]
Mete, mēt, v.t. to measure.—ns. Mete′wand, a measuring-stick; Mete′yard (B.), a yard or rod for meting or measuring. [A.S. metan; Ger. messen.]
Metempiric, -al, met-em-pir′ik, -al, adj. beyond or outside of experience:—opp. to Empirical or Experiential.—ns. Metempir′icism; Metempir′icist.
Metempsychosis, me-temp-si-kō′sis, n. the passing of the soul after death into some other body, whether that of a human being or of an animal:—pl. Metempsychō′ses. [Gr.,—meta, expressing change, empsychōsis, an animating—en, in, psychē, soul.]
Metensomatosis, met-en-sō-ma-tō′sis, n. transference of the elements of one body into another.
Meteor, mē′te-or, n. one of numberless small bodies travelling through space, continually being encountered by the earth on its orbital path, and then revealed to our observation as aerolites, fire-balls, or shooting-stars: formerly used of any appearance in the atmosphere, as clouds, rain: (fig.) anything that for a time dazzles or strikes with wonder.—adj. Meteor′ic, pertaining to, or consisting of, meteors: proceeding from a meteor: flashing like a meteor: influenced by the weather.—ns. Mē′teorograph, an instrument by which several meteorological elements are recorded in combination; Meteor′olite, Mē′teorite, a meteoric stone.—adjs. Meteorolog′ic, -al.—ns. Meteorol′ogist; one skilled in meteorology; Meteorol′ogy, that department of physics which treats of the phenomena of the atmosphere as regards weather and climate.—adj. Mē′tēorous (Milt.), having the nature of a meteor.—Meteoric iron, iron as found in meteoric stones; Meteoric showers, showers of meteors or shooting-stars; Meteoric Stones, aerolites. [Gr. meteōron—meta, beyond, eōra, anything suspended—aeirein, to lift.]