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  • synonyms

metaplasia

[ met-uh-pley-zhuh, -zhee-uh ]
/ ˌmɛt əˈpleɪ ʒə, -ʒi ə /

noun Pathology.

the transformation of one type of tissue into another.

Nearby words

metaphysician, metaphysicize, metaphysics, metaphysis, metaphyte, metaplasia, metaplasm, metaplastic anemia, metaplastic carcinoma, metaplastic ossification, metaplastic polyp

Origin of metaplasia

First recorded in 1885–90; meta- + -plasia
Related formsmet·a·plas·tic [met-uh-plas-tik] /ˌmɛt əˈplæs tɪk/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for metaplasia

metaplasia

/ (ˌmɛtəˈpleɪzɪə) /

noun

the transformation of one kind of tissue into a different kind
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

Medicine definitions for metaplasia

metaplasia

[ mĕt′ə-plā′zhə ]

n.

Normal transformation of tissue from one type to another, as in the ossification of cartilage to form bone.
Transformation of cells from a normal to an abnormal state.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.