Meta

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Meta- \Met"a-\, Met- \Met-\ [Gr. meta` between, with, after;
     akin to AS. mid with, G. mit, Goth. mi[thorn], E. mid, in
     midwife.]
     1. A prefix meaning between, with, after, behind, over,
        about, reversely; as, metachronism, the error of placing
        after the correct time; metaphor, lit., a carrying over;


        metathesis, a placing reversely.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.) A prefix denoting:
        (a) Other; duplicate, corresponding to; resembling; hence,
            metameric; as, meta-arabinic, metaldehyde.
        (b) (Organic Chem.) That two replacing radicals, in the
            benzene nucleus, occupy the relative positions of 1
            and 3, 2 and 4, 3 and 5, 4 and 6, 5 and 1, or 6 and 2;
            as, metacresol, etc. See {Ortho-}, and {Para-}.
        (c) (Inorganic Chem.) Having less than the highest number
            of hydroxyl groups; -- said of acids; as,
            metaphosphoric acid. Also used adjectively.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A prefix meaning at a level above, as in metaphysics,
        metalanguage.
        [PJC]

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  meta /me't*/ or /may't*/ or (Commonwealth) /mee't*/ adj.,pref. [from
     analytic philosophy] One level of description up. A metasyntactic
     variable is a variable in notation used to describe syntax, and
     meta-language is language used to describe language. This is difficult
     to explain briefly, but much hacker humor turns on deliberate confusion
     between meta-levels. See {{hacker humor}}.
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  META
       
           The {assembly language} for the {CYBER 200},
          developed at {CDC} ca 1977.
       
          [CDC Pub 60256020].
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
          (1994-11-16)
       
       

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  meta
       
           /me't*/ or /may't*/ or (Commonwealth) /mee't*/ A
          prefix meaning one level of description higher.  If X is some
          concept then meta-X is data about, or processes operating on,
          X.
       
          For example, a {metasyntax} is {syntax} for specifying syntax,
          {metalanguage} is a language used to discuss language,
          {meta-data} is data about data, and {meta-reasoning} is
          reasoning about reasoning.
       
          This is difficult to explain briefly, but much hacker humour
          turns on deliberate confusion between meta-levels.
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
          (1999-04-06)
       
       

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Meta, MO (city, FIPS 47594)
    Location: 38.31240 N, 92.16657 W
    Population (1990): 249 (123 housing units)
    Area: 0.9 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 65058

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Meta, MO -- U.S. city in Missouri
     Population (2000):    249
     Housing Units (2000): 130
     Land area (2000):     0.335267 sq. miles (0.868338 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    0.335267 sq. miles (0.868338 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            47594
     Located within:       Missouri (MO), FIPS 29
     Location:             38.312471 N, 92.167999 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     65058
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Meta, MO
      Meta