metacenter

[met-uh-sen-ter]

noun Naval Architecture.

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.

Also especially British, met·a·cen·tre.

Origin of metacenter

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for metacentre

Historical Examples

Thus, for instance, the archecentric condition of any Avian structure is a metacentre of the Sauropsidan stem.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1
Various

British Dictionary definitions for metacentre

metacentre

US metacenter

noun

the intersection of a vertical line through the centre of buoyancy of a floating body at equilibrium with the formerly vertical line through the centre of gravity of the body when the body is tilted

Derived Formsmetacentric, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012