metathesis
Americannoun
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the transposition of letters, syllables, or sounds in a word, as in the pronunciation for comfortable or for ask.
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Chemistry. double decomposition.
noun
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the transposition of two sounds or letters in a word
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chem another name for double decomposition
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of metathesis
First recorded in 1530–40; from Late Latin: literally, “transposition of letters of a word,” from Greek metáthesis “transposition, change”; see meta-, thesis
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To this purpose, they employed both a chemical reaction called ring-closing metathesis and photocatalysis -- a process in which chemical reactions are promoted by light energy.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2024
He became particularly interested in metathesis, a word meaning changing places, involving chemical reactions in which two carbon-based molecules exchange fragments under the influence of a third molecule, known as a catalyst.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2021
A sports manufacturer has developed a plastic baseball bat from compounds created through metathesis.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 25, 2021
What’s going on there is metathesis, and it’s a very common, perfectly natural process.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 15, 2019
CROCODILE, a name for certain reptiles, taken from ancient Gr. κορδύλος, signifying lizard and newt; with reduplication κορκορδύλος, and by metathesis ultimately κροκόδειλος.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various
No wonder that editor Haug cautioned the young poet against nonsense, obscurity and exaggerated metatheses.
From The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Thomas, Calvin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
