meta: Meaning and Definition of

me•ta

Pronunciation: (mē'tu), [key]
— pl. -tae
  1. (in ancient Rome) a column or post, or a group of columns or posts, placed at each end of a racetrack to mark the turning places.

met•a

Pronunciation: (met'u), [key]
— adj. Chem.
  1. pertaining to or occupying two positions (1, 3) in the benzene ring that are separated by one carbon atom. Cf..See diag. under

Me•ta

Pronunciation: (mē'tu), [key]
— n.
  1. a female given name.

meta-

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, with the meanings “after,” “along with,” “beyond,” “among,” “behind,” and productive in English on the Greek model: metacarpus; metagenesis; metalinguistics.
  2. meta-antimonic,
    1. (of acids, salts, or their organic derivatives) a prefix denoting the least hydrated of a series:meta-antimonic,HSbO3; meta-antimonous, HSbO2. Cf.ortho-, pyro-.
    2. a prefix designating the meta position in the benzene ring. Abbr.: m-. Cf.ortho-, para-1.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.