Definition of metathesis in English:
metathesis
nounPlural metatheses mɪˈtaθɪsɪsməˈtæθəsəs
1Grammar
mass noun The transposition of sounds or letters in a word.
he attributes the metathesis of the last two sounds to the Creole tendency to end words with a vowel
Example sentencesExamples
- We are dealing here with a phenomenon called metathesis (pronounced mih-TATH-uh-sis), the switching of two adjacent sounds within a word.
- It looks like Safire is assuming a metathesis and then a reshaping to match other cular words, which would supply a/y.
- Stress errors and phoneme substitutions or metatheses not attributable to dialect or articulation, however, were considered incorrect.
- X sometimes alternates with sk by metathesis: Manx for earlier Mansk; piskey as a variant of pixie; ax as a dialect form of ask.
2Chemistry
another term for double decomposition
Example sentencesExamples
- Recently there has also been a growing interest in utilising what is known as the alkene metathesis reaction for altering chain-lengths of ‘oils’ to form new compounds.
- I've never done an olefin metathesis reaction, which means that the trend started without me and will leave without me.
- In South Africa, interest in alkene metathesis research is growing.
- This was made by metathesis of 1-ethyl - 3-methylimidazolium [emim] with Ag [BF 4] in methanol.
- The Nobel prize in Chemistry this year goes to Robert H. Grubbs, Richard R. Schrock, and Yves Chauvin (Institut Francais du Petrole) for the development of metathesis.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Greek, from metatithenai 'transpose, change the position of'.
Definition of metathesis in US English:
metathesis
nounməˈtæθəsəsməˈtaTHəsəs
1Grammar
The transposition of sounds or letters in a word.
he attributes the metathesis of the last two sounds to the Creole tendency to end words with a vowel
Example sentencesExamples
- We are dealing here with a phenomenon called metathesis (pronounced mih-TATH-uh-sis), the switching of two adjacent sounds within a word.
- Stress errors and phoneme substitutions or metatheses not attributable to dialect or articulation, however, were considered incorrect.
- X sometimes alternates with sk by metathesis: Manx for earlier Mansk; piskey as a variant of pixie; ax as a dialect form of ask.
- It looks like Safire is assuming a metathesis and then a reshaping to match other cular words, which would supply a/y.
2Chemistry
A reaction in which two compounds exchange ions, typically with precipitation of an insoluble product.
Also called double decomposition
Example sentencesExamples
- The Nobel prize in Chemistry this year goes to Robert H. Grubbs, Richard R. Schrock, and Yves Chauvin (Institut Francais du Petrole) for the development of metathesis.
- Recently there has also been a growing interest in utilising what is known as the alkene metathesis reaction for altering chain-lengths of ‘oils’ to form new compounds.
- I've never done an olefin metathesis reaction, which means that the trend started without me and will leave without me.
- In South Africa, interest in alkene metathesis research is growing.
- This was made by metathesis of 1-ethyl - 3-methylimidazolium [emim] with Ag [BF 4] in methanol.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Greek, from metatithenai ‘transpose, change the position of’.