metathesis

[ muh-tath-uh-sis ]
/ məˈtæθ ə sɪs /

noun, plural me·tath·e·ses [muh-tath-uh-seez] /məˈtæθ əˌsiz/.

the transposition of letters, syllables, or sounds in a word, as in the pronunciation [kuhmf-ter-buh l] /ˈkʌmf tər bəl/ for comfortable or [aks] /æks/ for ask.
Chemistry. double decomposition.

Origin of metathesis

1600–10; < Late Latin: transposition of letters of a word < Greek metáthesis transposition. See meta-, thesis

OTHER WORDS FROM metathesis

met·a·thet·ic [met-uh-thet-ik] /ˌmɛt əˈθɛt ɪk/, met·a·thet·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby metathesis

metatarsus varus, metate, metathalamus, metatheory, metatherian, metathesis, metathesize, metathorax, metatoluidine, metatrophic, metatropic dwarfism

Example sentences from the Web for metathesis

British Dictionary definitions for metathesis

metathesis
/ (mɪˈtæθəsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)

the transposition of two sounds or letters in a word
chem another name for double decomposition

Derived forms of metathesis

metathetic (ˌmɛtəˈθɛtɪk) or metathetical, adjective

Word Origin for metathesis

C16: from Late Latin, from Greek, from metatithenai to transpose

Medical definitions for metathesis

metathesis
[ mĭ-tăth′ĭ-sĭs ]

n. pl. me•tath•e•ses (-sēz′)

Double decomposition of chemical compounds in which an element or radical of one compound exchanges places with another element or radical in another compound.