metacentricadj.1
/ˌmɛtəˈsɛntrɪk/, U.S. /ˌmɛdəˈsɛntrɪk/ 1. Physics and Shipbuilding. Of or relating to the metacentre of a ship or other floating body. metacentric height n. the height of the metacentre of a floating body above its centre of gravity.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > shipbuilding and repairing > [adjective] > relating to a metacentre
metacentric1798
metacentral1887
1798 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 88 242 The curve..is termed the metacentric curve, being the line traced by the successive metacentres.
1867 Proc. Royal Soc. 1866–7 15 397 The centre of the circle which is the evolute of the metacentric evolute shall coincide with the ship's centre of gravity.
1881 Times 6 Jan. 11/2 The result of the inclination at Pembroke is shown in a metacentric diagram.
1913 E. L. Attwood Mod. Warship 67 The metacentric height is a measure of the stiffness of the ship.
1932 Yachting Monthly May 67 (caption) Fidelis, 8 tons, described in Dr. Harrison Butler's letter, and designed by Mr. F. J. Welch on the Metacentric Shelf system of balance.
1992 Marine Engineers Rev. Nov. 58/2 The metacentric heights in free-floating conditions were measured by inclining tests, and were varied from 0.03m to 8.7m.
2. Biology. In the terminology of P. C. Mitchell: forming a new centre of evolutionary development. Cf. metacentral adj. 2, metacentre n. 2. rare.
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1901 P. C. Mitchell in Trans. Linn. Soc.: Zool. 8 213 The Grebes are more apocentric modifications of this metacentric type.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
metacentricadj.2n.
/ˌmɛtəˈsɛntrɪk/, U.S. /ˌmɛdəˈsɛntrɪk/ Genetics.
A. adj.2
Of a chromosome: having the centromere at or near the centre.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [adjective] > chromosome > centromere
acentric1899
telomitic1917
centric1937
paracentric1938
pericentric1938
metacentric1939
telocentric1939
centromeric1941
multicentric1941
polycentric1943
acrocentric1945
subtelocentric1954
submetacentric1957
subacrocentric1960
1939 C. D. Darlington in Jrnl. Genetics 37 357 Two sister chromatids would become the concurrent arms of a new metacentric chromosome.
1945 M. J. D. White Animal Cytol. & Evol. ii. 20 The former [chromosomes] we shall call metacentric.
1962 Lancet 2 June 1158/1 The 46 chromosomes..in the cultured cells of the blood of their patient included an unpaired metacentric chromosome.
1970 Nature 5 Dec. 938/2 Somatic mouse cells have forty acrocentric and telocentric and no metacentric chromosomes.
1992 Cambr. Encycl. Human Evol. (1994) viii. ii. 301/2 Metacentric chromosomes have their centromeres halfway along so that they appear ‘two-armed’ when segregating during cell division.
B. n.
A metacentric chromosome.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [noun] > chromosome > types of chromosome
chromoplastid1885
accessory chromosome1899
chromoplast1902
X1902
heterochromosome1904
idiochromosome1905
macrochromosome1905
allosome1906
autosome1906
monosome1906
sex chromosome1906
supernumerary1907
X chromosome1911
Y chromosome1911
univalent1912
euchromosome1914
W1917
monosome1921
tetrasome1921
trisome1921
heterosome1938
isochromosome1939
trisomic1939
metacentric1945
acrocentric1949
polycentric1953
Philadelphia chromosome1961
monocentric1979
1945 M. J. D. White Animal Cytol. & Evol. iv. 56 Whether such a metacentric could pass through an indefinite number of mitoses without being frequently disrupted is open to doubt.
1961 Lancet 26 Aug. 463/2 The usual human Y..is normally about the same length as the smallest metacentric..or very slightly longer.
1971 Nature 15 Oct. 481/2 The karyotype presented as typical by Kao and Puck was interpreted by them as having three hamster telocentrics replaced by two human metacentrics.
1994 Plant Systematics & Evol. 189 259 The chromosome complement of Hordelymus europaeus comprised 16 metacentrics, 8 submetacentrics, and 4 SAT-chromosomes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.11798adj.2n.1939