metathesis

American  

[muh-tath-uh-sis] / məˈtæθ ə sɪs /

noun

• metatheses
  plural

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

2. Chemistry. double decomposition.

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metathesis British  

/ mɪˈtæθəsɪs, ˌmɛtəˈθɛtɪk /

noun

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

2. chem another name for double decomposition

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• metathetic
  adjective
• metathetical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• metatheses
  plural

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

See Examples For:

metathesis metatheses

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

The metathesis of Noghai-chi into Kuni-chi is the only drawback to this otherwise apt solution.

From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Henry Yule

No wonder that editor Haug cautioned the young poet against nonsense, obscurity and exaggerated metatheses.

From The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Calvin Thomas