metathesis

American  

[muh-tath-uh-sis] / məˈtæθ ə sɪs /

noun

plural

metatheses

1. the transposition of letters, syllables, or sounds in a word, as in the pronunciation for comfortable or for ask.

2. Chemistry. double decomposition.

---

metathesis British  

/ mɪˈtæθəsɪs, ˌmɛtəˈθɛtɪk /

noun

1. the transposition of two sounds or letters in a word

2. chem another name for double decomposition

---

Other Word Forms

• metathetic adjective
• metathetical adjective

Etymology

Origin of metathesis

First recorded in 1530–40; from Late Latin: literally, “transposition of letters of a word,” from Greek metáthesis “transposition, change”; meta-, thesis

Example Sentences

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

Exploiting a process known as metathesis, in which carbon compounds exchange parts with one another, Grubbs showed how to create a broad range of new products, from environmentally friendly plastics to resins to pharmaceuticals.

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

Three of the most important of these are assimilation, dissimilation, and metathesis.

From The Romance of Words (4th ed.) by Weekley, Ernest