metanalysis

[ met-uh-nal-uh-sis ]

/ ˌmɛt əˈnæl ə sɪs /

noun, plural met·a·nal·y·ses [met-uh-nal-uh-seez] /ˌmɛt əˈnæl əˌsiz/.

a shift in the division between words in a phrase; misdivision: “A nickname” resulted from metanalysis of “an ekename.”

Nearby words

metamorphoses, metamorphosis, metamorphosis, the, metamorphous, metamyelocyte, metanalysis, metanarrative, metanephric duct, metanephrine, metanephrogenic, metanephros

Origin of metanalysis

First recorded in 1910–15

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019