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metathesis

Syllabification: (me·tath·e·sis)
Pronunciation: /məˈtaTHəsəs/
Definition of metathesis

noun (plural metatheses /-ˌsēz/)

  • 1 Grammar the transposition of sounds or letters in a word.
  • 2 (also metathesis reaction) Chemistry a reaction in which two compounds exchange ions, typically with precipitation of an insoluble product. Also called double decomposition.

Derivatives

metathetic

Pronunciation: /ˌmetəˈTHetik/
adjective

metathetical

Pronunciation: /ˌmetəTHetikəl/
adjective

Origin:

late 16th century: from Greek, from metatithenai 'transpose, change the position of'

metathesis in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of metathesis in the British & World English dictionary
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