meta-

or met- prefix Etymology: New Latin & Medieval Latin, from Latin or Greek; Latin, from Greek, among, with, after, from meta among, with, after; akin to Old English mid, mith with, Old High German mit 1. a. occurring later than or in succession to ; after <

metestrus

> b. situated behind or beyond <

metencephalon

> <

metacarpus

> c. later or more highly organized or specialized form of <

metaxylem

> 2. change ; transformation <

metaplasia

> 3. [metaphysics] more comprehensive ; transcending <

metapsychological

> — usually used with the name of a discipline to designate a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one <

metamathematics

> 4. a. involving substitution at or characterized by two positions in the benzene ring that are separated by one carbon atom <

meta-xylene

> b. derived from by loss of water <

metaphosphoric acid

>