1. a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, with the meanings "after," "along with," "beyond," "among," "behind," and productive in English on the Greek model: metacarpus; metagenesis; metalinguistics.
2. Chem.
a. (of acids, salts, or their organic derivatives) a prefix denoting the least hydrated of a series: meta-antimonic, HSbO 3 ; meta-antimonous, HSbO 2 . Cf. ortho-, pyro- .
b. a prefix designating the meta position in the benzene ring. Abbr.: m-. Cf. ortho-, para- 1 .
Also, esp. before a vowel, met- .
[ mid with, G mit, Goth mith ]