metathesis
/mɪˈtaθɪsɪs
/noun (plural metatheses /mɪˈtaθɪsiːz/)
1 [mass noun] Grammar 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...
- X sometimes alternates with sk by metathesis: Manx for earlier Mansk; piskey as a variant of pixie; ax as a dialect form of ask.
- 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.
2 (also metathesis reaction) Chemistry another term for double decomposition.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.
Derivatives
metathetic
/ adjective ...- It is suggested here that metathetic continua may not be amenable to investigation as relative class concepts.
- Here are a few more words that are metathetic forms of former words.
- There is a great deal of debate as to whether or not stimuli that are part of a metathetic continuum can be explained by the Power Law.
metathetical
- The metathetical process to generate isocyanates allows also for facile formation of sterically demanding aryl isocyanide, by a deoxygenation route.
- Now it is certainly possible to rig up such a metathetical reaction where the ions change partners and both precipitate!
- Furthermore, we have found that the throughput for the process is improved when an ammonium salt is used for the metathetical second step of the process.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Greek, from metatithenai 'transpose, change the position of'.