metacharacter
/ˈmɛtəˌkarɪktə/noun
1 Philosophy. The character of a concept, etc., in a metalanguage; metalinguistic character. rare.
2 Computing. A character that is defined as having a controlling role by the computer program or operating system in use, and that gives information about how other characters are to be determined or gives rise to a specific action.
Origin
1960s; earliest use found in Mind. From meta- + character.
- labouristic
- Labourite
- labour law
- labour leader
- labourless
- Labour-Liberal
- labour movement
- labour note
- labour-only
- labourous
- labour pain
- Labour Party
- labour relations
- labour-saver
- labour-saving
- labour secretary
- laboursome
- laboursomely
- labour spy
- labour-starved
- labour theory of value
- labour the point
- labour time
- labour under
- labour union