metacenter

[ met-uh-sen-ter ]

noun

, Naval Architecture.

1. the intersection between two vertical lines, one through the center of buoyancy of a hull in equilibrium, the other through the center of buoyancy when the hull is inclined slightly to one side or toward one end: the distance of this intersection above the center of gravity is an indication of the initial stability of the hull.

Word History and Origins

Origin of metacenter¹

From the French word métacentre, dating back to 1785–95. See meta-, center