metastable
[ met-uh-stey-buhl, met-uh-stey- ]
/ ˈmɛt əˌsteɪ bəl, ˌmɛt əˈsteɪ- /
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adjective
Metallurgy. chemically unstable in the absence of certain conditions that would induce stability, but not liable to spontaneous transformation.
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OTHER WORDS FROM metastable
met·a·sta·bil·i·ty [met-uh-stuh-bil-i-tee], /ˌmɛt ə stəˈbɪl ɪ ti/, nounWords nearby metastable
metarubricyte, metascope, metasequoia, metasoma, metasomatism, metastable, Metastasio, metastasis, metastasize, metastatic, metastatic abscess
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for metastable
British Dictionary definitions for metastable
metastable
/ (ˌmɛtəˈsteɪbəl) physics /
adjective
(of a body or system) having a state of apparent equilibrium although capable of changing to a more stable state
(of an atom, molecule, ion, or atomic nucleus) existing in an excited state with a relatively long lifetime
noun
a metastable atom, ion, molecule, or nucleus
Derived forms of metastable
metastability, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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