Etymology dictionary

meritocracy (n.) — metapolitics (n.)

meritocracy (n.)

coined 1958 by British sociologist Michael Young (1915-2002) and used in title of his book, "The Rise of the Meritocracy"; from merit (n.) + -cracy. Related: Meritocratic.

early 15c., "deserving of divine grace," from Latin meritorius "that for which money is paid, that by which money is earned," from meritus, past participle of merere "to earn" (from PIE root *(s)mer- (2) "to get a share of something"). From late 15c. (Caxton) as "deserving of reward, worthy of praise or honor." Related: Meritoriously; meritoriousness.

merkin (n.)

"female pudenda," 1650s (earlier mawkine, 1530s), apparently a variant of malkin in its sense of "mop." Meaning "artificial vagina or 'counterfeit hair for a woman's privy parts' " [Grose] is attested from 1610s. According to "The Oxford Companion to the Body," the custom of wearing merkins dates from mid-15c., was associated with prostitutes, and was to disguise a want of pubic hair, either shaved off to exterminate body lice or a result of venereal disease.

merle (n.)

the common European blackbird, late 15c., from Old French merle (12c.), from Latin merulus, from PIE *ams- "black, blackbird" (source also of Old English osle "blackbird;" see ouzel). Middle English had the word earlier as merule (late 14c.), directly from Latin. "Perhaps never in popular use, but constantly occurring in Scottish poetry from the 15th c." [OED]. The Latin word shows effects of rhotacism. It also is the source of Provençal and Spanish merla, Portuguese melro, and Italian merla. Borrowed from French are Middle Dutch and dialectal German merle, Dutch meerle.

merlin (n.)

small, strong European species of falcon, late 14c., merlioun (perhaps early 14c.), from Anglo-French merilun, a shortened form of Old French esmerillon "merlin, small hawk" (12c., Modern French émerillon), from Frankish *smiril or some other Germanic source (compare Old High German smerlo, German Schmerl "merlin"). Spanish esmerejon, Italian smeriglio also are Germanic loan-words. OED rejects connection with Latin merula "blackbird."

Merlin

name of the sorcerer and soothsayer in Arthurian legends, from Old French form of Welsh Myrddhin, probably from Old Celtic *Mori-dunon, literally "of the sea-hill," from *mori "sea" (from PIE root *mori- "body of water") + dunom "hill" (see dune).

merlon (n.)

"solid part of a battlement," between and separating two crenelles or embrasures, 1704, from French merlon (17c.), from Italian merlone, augmentative of merlo "battlement," perhaps [OED] a contraction of mergola, diminutive of Latin mergae "two-pronged pitchfork."

merlot (n.)

grape variety used for producing red wine, by 1828, generally said to be from French merle "blackbird," from Latin merola, but the reason for the name being given to the grapes is obscure; perhaps from a supposed fondness of the birds for the grapes, or from the dark color of the wine made from it.

mermaid (n.)

"fabled marine or amphibian creature having the upper body in the form of a woman and the lower in the form of a fish, with human attributes," "usually working harm, with or without malignant intent, to mortals with whom she might be thrown into relation" [Century Dictionary]; mid-14c., meremayde, literally "maid of the sea," from Middle English mere "sea, lake" (see mere (n.1)) + maid.

Old English had equivalent merewif "water-witch" (see wife), meremenn "mermaid, siren" (compare Middle Dutch meer-minne, Old High German meri-min), which became Middle English mere-min (c. 1200) and was shortened to mere "siren, mermaid" (early 13c.); the later mermaid might be a re-expansion of this. Tail-less in northern Europe; the fishy form is a medieval influence from the classical siren, and mermaids sometimes were said to lure sailors to destruction with song.

A favorite sign of taverns and inns at least since early 15c. (in reference to the inn on Bread Street, Cheapside, London). Mermaid pie (1660s) was "a sucking pig baked whole in a crust." Mermaid's purse for "egg-case of a skate, ray, or shark" is by 1825, perhaps originally Scottish, as it is first attested in Jamieson.

merman (n.)

"fabulous sea-creature, man above and fish below," c. 1600, literally "man of the sea," from first element in mermaid (q.v.) + man (n.). The gender-neutral merpeople (1849 "Kit Bam's Adventures") and merfolk (1846) "inhabitants of the sea with human bodies and fish-like tails" seem to be more recent formations.

mero-

before vowels mer-, word-forming element meaning "part, partial, fraction," from Greek meros "a part, a fraction," from PIE root *(s)mer- (2) "to get a share of something."

Merovingian (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the dynasty to which the first French kings belonged," 1690s, from French Mérovingien, from Medieval Latin Merovingi, "descendants of Meroveus," (mythical?) ancestor of the line of Frankish kings in Gaul c. 500-752 beginning with Clovis; Merovingi is a Latinization of his Germanic name (compare Old High German Mar-wig "famed-fight") with the Germanic patronymic suffix -ing.

merry (adj.)

Middle English mirie, from Old English myrge "pleasing, agreeable, pleasant, sweet, exciting feelings of enjoyment and gladness" (said of grass, trees, the world, music, song); also as an adverb, "pleasantly, melodiously," from Proto-Germanic *murgijaz, which probably originally meant "short-lasting," (compare Old High German murg "short," Gothic gamaurgjan "to shorten"), from PIE root *mregh-u- "short." The only exact cognate for meaning outside English was Middle Dutch mergelijc "joyful."

The connection to "pleasure" likely was via the notion of "making time fly, that which makes the time seem to pass quickly" (compare German Kurzweil "pastime," literally "a short time;" Old Norse skemta "to amuse, entertain, amuse oneself," from skamt, neuter of skammr "short"). There also was a verbal form in Old English, myrgan "be merry, rejoice." For vowel evolution, see bury (v.).

Not originally applied to humorous moods or speech or conduct, yet the word had a much wider senses in Middle English than modern: "pleasant-sounding" (of animal voices), "fine" (of weather), "handsome" (of dress), "pleasant-tasting" (of herbs). The evolution of the modern senses is probably via the meaning "pleased by a certain event or situation or state of things" (c. 1200). Of persons, "cheerful by disposition or nature; playfully cheerful, enlivened with gladness or good spirits," by mid-14c.

Merry-bout "an incident of sexual intercourse" was low slang from 1780. Merry-begot "illegitimate" (adj.), also "bastard" (n.) are in Grose (1785). Merrie England (now frequently satirical or ironic) is c. 1400, meri ingland, originally in a broader sense of "bountiful, prosperous." Merry Monday was a 16c. term for "the Monday before Shrove Tuesday" (Mardi Gras).

merrily (adv.)

late 14c., mirili "in a merry manner, cheerfully;" from Old English myriglice "pleasantly, melodiously;" see merry + -ly (2).

merriment (n.)

1570s, "comedic or mirthful entertainment," from from obsolete verb merry "be happy; make happy" (Old English myrgan; see merry (adj.)) + -ment. General sense of "state of being merry, mirth" is from 1580s.

merrow (n.)

"mermaid," 1828, from Irish mourach, mouradh, from muir "the sea" (see mere n.1).

merry-andrew (n.)

"a buffoon; a zany; a jack-pudding" [Johnson], "One whose business it is to make sport for others by jokes and ridiculous posturing" [Century Dictionary], according to OED, in early use properly a mountebank's assistant, 1670s, from merry + masc. proper name Andrew, but there is no certain identification with an individual, and the name here may be generic.

merry-go-round (n.)

"a revolving machine consisting of wooden horses or seats mounted on a circular platform," 1729, from merry (adj.) + go-round. Figurative use by 1838. Merry-totter (mid-15c.) was a Middle English name for a swing or see-saw. Also compare merry-go-down "strong ale" (c. 1500); merry-go-sorry "a mix of joy and sorrow" (1590s).

merrymaking (n.)

also merry-making, "a convivial entertainment, a mirthful festival," 1714, from an inversion of the verbal phrase make merry "be happy, be cheerful, be joyous, frolic" (late 14c.); see make (v.) + merry (adj.). The earlier noun was merry-make (1570s). Related: Merry-maker (1827).

merry man (n.)

"companion in arms, follower of a knight, outlaw, etc.," late 14c., from merry (adj.) + man (n.). Related: Merry men.

merrythought (n.)

"wishbone of a fowl's breast," c. 1600, from merry (adj.) + thought. So called from the sport of breaking it between two persons pulling each on an end to determine who will get a wish he made for the occasion (the winner getting the longer fragment). Also see wishbone.

merry widow

"amorous or designing widow," 1907, from the English title of Franz Lehar's operetta "Die Lustige Witwe" (1905). "The Lusty Widow" would have been more etymological (see lust (n.)), but would have given the wrong impression in English. Meaning "a type of wide-brimmed hat" (popularized in the play) is attested from 1908.

Mersey

English river running past Liverpool, c. 1000, Mærse, probably "boundary river," from Old English mæres (genitive singular of mære "boundary, object indicating a boundary;" see mere (n.2)) + ea "river." Related: Merseysider. Mersey beat, in reference to the popular music style associated with the Beatles, is by 1963.

mesa (n.)

"high table land, in the U.S. Southwest, a broad and flat region between canyons or rivers," 1759, from Spanish mesa "plateau," literally "table," from Latin mensa "table" for sacred offerings or for meals (source of Romanian masa, Old French moise "table"), which de Vaan writes is probably the feminine of the past participle mensus ("measured") of metiri (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure"), formed by analogy with pensus "weighed." He compares Umbrian mefa, mefe, name of a certain sacrificial object, perhaps cake, and writes, "In Latin, the meaning then shifted from the offering itself to the object on which the offerings were placed."

mesalliance (n.)

also misalliance, "marriage with a person of lower social position," 1782, from French mésalliance, from pejorative prefix mes- (from Latin mis-; see mis-) + alliance (see alliance). In English form misalliance from 1738.

mescal (n.)

"plant of the genus Agave," found in deserts of Mexico and southwestern U.S., especially the American aloe, or maguey plant, 1702, from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) mexcalli "fermented drink made from agave," from metl "agave" + ixcalli "stew." Meaning "intoxicating liquor from fermented juice (pulque) of the agave" is attested in English from 1828. Also the name of a small desert cactus (peyote) found in northern Mexico and southern Texas (1885).

mescaline (n.)

crystalline alkaloid, 1896, from German mezcalin (1896), so called because it originally was found in the buttons that grow atop the mescal cacti (see mescal). With chemical suffix -ine (2).

mesdames

plural of French madame (see madam). Mesdemoiselles is plural of mademoiselle; messieurs of monsieur.

meseems (v.)

"it seems to me," late 14c., me semeth, from me (pron.), dative of I, + seem (v.). Archaic. Compare methinks.

mesel

"leprous" (adj.); "a leper" (n.); both c. 1300, from Old French mesel "wretched, leprous; a wretch," from Latin misellus "wretched, unfortunate," as a noun, "a wretch," in Medieval Latin, "a leper," diminutive of miser "wretched, unfortunate, miserable" (see miser). A Latin diminutive form without diminutive force. Also from Latin misellus are Old Italian misello "sick, leprous," Catalan mesell "sick." The English word is archaic or obsolete since the 1500s, replaced by leper, leprous, but its lexical DNA survives, apparently, as a contamination of measles.

mesenteritis (n.)

"inflammation of the mesentery," 1772; see mesentery + -itis "inflammation."

mesentery (n.)

"a fold of the peritoneum," early 15c., mesenterie, from medical Latin mesenterium "middle of the intestine," from medical Greek mesenterion, literally "the middle intestine," from mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + enteron "intestine" (from PIE *enter-, comparative of root *en "in"). Related: Mesenteric.

mesh (n.)

late 14c., mesche, "open space in a net or netting," probably from late Old English max "net," earlier mæscre, from Proto-Germanic *mask- (source also of Old Norse möskvi, Danish maske, Swedish maska, Old Saxon masca, Middle Dutch maessce, Dutch maas "mesh," Old High German masca, German Masche "mesh"), from PIE *mezg- "to knit, plait, twist" (source also of Lithuanian mezgu, megzti "to knit," mazgas "knot"). In machinery, "the engagement of the teeth in gearing" (by 1875). Mesh-work in netting is attested by 1785.

mesh (v.)

1530s, originally in the figurative sense of "entangle, involve;" the literal transitive sense of "to catch in a net, entangle" is from 1540s; from mesh (n.). Literal sense "to become enmeshed" is from 1580s. Intransitive sense of "become engaged," as the teeth of one wheel with those of another, is by 1850. The figurative sense of "to fit in, combine" is by 1944. Related: Meshed; meshing.

meshuga (adj.)

"mad, crazy, stupid," 1892, from Hebrew meshugga, participle of shagag "to go astray, wander." The adjective has forms meshugener, meshugenah before a noun.

meshwork (n.)

also mesh-work, "a network, a web, a plexus," 1830, from mesh (n.) + work (n.). Compare network.

mesial (adj.)

"middle, median, pertaining to the middle," 1803, an irregular formation from Greek mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + -al (1). Related: Mesially.

mesic (adj.)

1926, in ecology, "characterized by a moderate amount of moisture," from Greek mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + -ic. From 1939 in physics, "of or pertaining to a meson" (see meson).

mesmerism (n.)

"the doctrine that one person can exercise influence over the will and nervous system of another and produce certain phenomena by virtue of a supposed emanation called animal magnetism," 1798, from French mesmérisme, named for Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815), Austrian physician who developed a theory of animal magnetism and a mysterious body fluid which allows one person to hypnotize another and propounded it in 1778 in Paris. The word, if still used is practically synonymous with hypnotism or artificial somnambulism. Another similar word for the same effect was braidism. An old term for "hypnotic suggestion" was mesmeric promise. Related: Mesmerist

mesmeric (adj.)

"of or pertaining to mesmerism; produced by mesmerism or resembling its effects," 1829; see mesmerism + -ic. Related: Mesmerical; mesmerically.

mesmerize (v.)

"bring into a mesmeric state, hypnotize," 1819, a back-formation from mesmerism. Transferred sense of "enthrall" is attested by 1862. Related: Mesmerized; mesmerizing; mesmerization. One who is mesmerized is a mesmeree.

mesmerise (v.)

chiefly British English spelling of mesmerize (v.); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Mesmerised; mesmerising.

mesne (adj.)

mid-15c., "middle, intervening, intermediate;" altered spelling (by French influence) of Anglo-French meen "mean" (Old French meien "middle;" see mean (adj.); also see demesne).

meso-

before vowels mes-, word-forming element meaning "middle, intermediate, halfway," from Greek mesos "middle, in the middle; middling, moderate; between" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle").

Mesoamerica (n.)

also Meso-America, cultural or economic region comprising central and southern Mexico and northern Central America, by 1948, from Spanish Mesoamérica (by 1943); see meso- "middle" + America. Related: Mesoamerican.

mesocracy (n.)

"government by the middle classes," 1858, from meso- "middle" + -cracy "rule or government by." Related: Mesocratic (1857).

mesoderm (n.)

"middle germinal layer of the three-layered embryo of a metazoic animal," 1858, from French mésoderme or German Mesoderm, literally "middle skin," coined by German physician Robert Remak (1815-1865) from meso- "middle" + Greek derma "skin" (see -derm). Related: Mesodermal; mesodermic.

mesolithic (adj.)

1866 in archaeology, "belonging to the middle Stone Age (in Europe, roughly 15,000 to 5,000 years before the present, between the paleolithic and the neolithic); see meso- "middle" + lithic "consisting of stone." The word was used c. 1859 in a different sense in geology.

mesomorph (n.)

"person with a powerful, compact body build," 1940, from mesoderm + -morph, from Greek morphe "form, shape; beauty, outward appearance," a word of uncertain etymology. Coined by American psychologist William H. Sheldon (1898-1977); the reference is to the mesodermal layer of the embryo, from which physical structures develop. Related: Mesomorphic (attested from 1923 in chemistry, a separate coinage in reference to a state of a liquid crystal).

meson (n.)

subatomic particle, 1939, from Greek mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + subatomic particle suffix -on. Earlier mesotron (1938). So called for being intermediate in mass between protons and electrons. An earlier use of the word, from the Greek noun meson "center," meant "the medial plane which divides the body into two equal and symmetrical parts" (by 1883).

Mesopotamia

ancient name for the land that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers north of Babylon (in modern Iraq), from Greek mesopotamia (khōra), literally "a country between two rivers," from fem. of mesopotamos, from mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + potamos "river" (see potamo-).

In 19c. the word sometimes was used in the sense of "anything which gives irrational or inexplicable comfort to the hearer," based on the story of the old woman who told her pastor that she "found great support in that comfortable word Mesopotamia" ["Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable," 1870]. The place was Mespot (1917) to British soldiers serving there in World War I. Related: Mesopotamian.

mesosphere (n.)

"region of the earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere," 1950, from meso- "middle" + second element in atmosphere.

mesothelioma (n.)

"malignant tumor of the mesothelium (usually that of the lungs)," typically caused by exposure to asbestos, by 1893, with -oma "morbid growth, tumor" + mesothelium (1886), which is from meso- "middle" + ending from epithelium.

Mesozoic (adj.)

in geology, "of or found in that part of the geological series between the Paleozoic and what was then called the Tertiary," 1840, from Greek mesos "middle" (from PIE root *medhyo- "middle") + zoe "life" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live") + -ic. The name was coined by British geologist John Phillips for the fossil era "between" the Paleozoic and what is now the Cenozoic. An older name for it was Secondary.

mesquite (n.)

type of American shrub of the pea family, found from Texas and California to Chile, 1759, from Mexican Spanish mezquite, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) mizquitl "mesquite." It is noted for its heavy, hard wood.

Mesropian (adj.)

in reference to the Armenian and Georgian alphabets, from Mesrob, 5c. patriarch of Armenia, who is said to have devised their basic forms. Scholars think the Georgian was a separate creation from an unknown originator.

mess (v.)

late 14c., "serve up (food) in portions," from mess (n.). Intransitive meaning "to share a mess, take one's meals in company with others" is from 1701; that of "make a mess of, disorder" is by 1853. Related: Messed; messing. To mess with "interfere, get involved" is by 1903; to mess up "make a mistake, get in trouble" is from 1933 (earlier "make disorderly, make a mess of," by 1892), both originally American English colloquial.

mess (n.)

c. 1300, "a supply or provision of food for one meal," from Old French mes "portion of food, course at dinner," from Late Latin missus "course at dinner," literally "a placing, a putting (on a table, etc.)," from past participle of mittere "to put, place," in classical Latin "to send, let go" (see mission). For sense evolution, compare early Middle English sonde "a serving of food or drink; a meal or course of a meal," from Old English sond, sand, literally "a sending," the noun form of send (v.).

Meaning "a communal eating place" (especially a military one) is attested by 1530s, from the earlier sense of "a company of persons eating together at the same table" (early 15c.), originally a group of four. The sense of "mixed food," especially "mixed food for animals" (1738), probably is what led to the contemptuous colloquial use of mess for "a jumble, a mixed mass" (1828) and the figurative sense of "state of confusion, a situation of disorder" (1834), as well as "condition of untidiness" (1851).

General use for "a quantity" of anything is attested by 1830. Meaning "excrement" (of animals) is from 1903. Mess-hall "area where military personnel eat and socialize" is by 1832. Mess-kit "the cooking- and table-utensils of a camp, with the chest in which they are kept" is by 1829. Mess-locker "a small locker on shipboard for holding mess-gear" is by 1829.

message (v.)

"to send messages," 1580s, from message (n.). Marked as "obsolete" in Century Dictionary (1895). Meaning "to send an electronic message" is by 1992. Related: Messaged; messaging.

messaging (n.)

"act or fact of sending messages," by 1865, verbal noun from message (v.). Middle English had messagery "the carrying of messages" (late 14c.), from Old French messagerie.

message (n.)

c. 1300, "a communication transmitted via a messenger, a notice sent through some agency," from Old French message "message, news, tidings, embassy" (11c.), from Medieval Latin missaticum, from Latin missus "a sending away, sending, dispatching; a throwing, hurling," noun use of past participle of mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission).

The Latin word is glossed in Old English by ærende. Specific religious sense of "divinely inspired communication via a prophet" (1540s) led to transferred sense of "the broad meaning (of something)," which is attested by 1828. To get the message "understand" is by 1960.

Messalina

"scheming, licentious, sexually voracious woman," by 1795, in reference to Valeria Messalina (died 48 C.E.), notorious third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, long a figure of vanity and immorality.

messenger (n.)

c. 1200, messager (late 12c. as a surname), "one who bears a message; the bearer of a verbal or written communication," from Old French messagier "messenger, envoy, ambassador," from message (see message (n.)). With unetymological -n- inserted by c. 1300 for no apparent reason except that people liked to say it that way (compare passenger, harbinger, scavenger). From c. 1200 as "a harbinger, forerunner, precursor" (in reference to John the Baptist as the precursor of Christ).

Messerschmitt (n.)

type of German warplane, 1940, from name of Willy Messerschmitt (1898-1978), German aircraft designer. The surname is literally "cutler, knife-maker."

messy (adj.)

1843, "untidy, in a state of disorder or dirtiness," from mess (n.) "state of confusion" + -y (2). Figurative use ("unethical") is attested by 1924. Related: Messily; messiness.

Messiah (n.)

c. 1300, Messias, a designation of Jesus as the savior of the world, from Late Latin Messias, from Greek Messias, from Aramaic (Semitic) meshiha and Hebrew mashiah "the anointed" (of the Lord), from mashah "anoint." It is thus the Hebrew equivalent of Christ, and it is the word rendered in Septuagint as Greek Khristos (see Christ).

In Old Testament prophetic writing, it was used as a descriptive title of an expected deliverer of the Jewish nation. The modern English form represents an attempt to make the word look more Hebrew, and dates from the Geneva Bible (1560). Transferred sense of "an expected liberator or savior of a captive people" is attested from 1660s. Related: Messiahship "the character, state, or office of Jesus Christ as savior of the world" (1620s).

messianic (adj.)

"relating or pertaining to the Messiah or to anyone exercising the offices of a messiah," 1831, from Modern Latin messianicus, from Messias (see Messiah).

Messier

by 1801 in reference to a catalogue of about 100 nebulae, star clusters and galaxies begun in 1758 by French astronomer and comet-hunter Charles Messier (1730-1817), who was deceived in his telescopic searches by fuzzy objects that resembled distant comets but turned out to be fixed.

The first version of the catalogue was published 1771, and the fuller version in 1781.

messmate (n.)

"an associate in a mess," especially a ship's mess; "one who eats ordinarily at the same table with another," 1746, from mess (n.) "communal eating place" + mate (n.), the etymological sense of which is "one eating at the same table, messmate."

messrs.

abbreviation of messieurs (1620s), which is the plural of French monsieur (see monsieur).

messuage (n.)

legal term for "a dwelling house," late 14c., (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), from Anglo-French messuage, which probably is a clerical error for mesnage (see menage). Originally the portion of land set aside for a dwelling-house and outbuildings, whether occupied by them or not; later chiefly in reference to the house and buildings and the attached land.

mestizo (adj.)

"offspring of a person of mixed blood," especially a person of mixed Spanish and Amerindian parentage," 1580s, from Spanish mestizo, Portuguese mestiço, "of mixed European and Amerindian parentage," from Late Latin mixticius "mixed, mongrel," from Latin mixtus "mixed," past participle of miscere "to mix, mingle" (from PIE root *meik- "to mix"). Fem. form mestiza is attested from 1580s. Compare mustee.

Met (n.)

1879 as colloquial shortening of Metropolitan (n.) "member of the New York Metropolitan Base-Ball Club."

Used variously to abbreviate other proper names beginning with Metropolitan, such as "Metropolitan Museum of Art" (N.Y.), by 1919; "Metropolitan Railway" (stock), by 1890; "Metropolitan Opera Company (N.Y.), by 1922. Related: Mets.

met (v.)

past tense and past participle of meet (v.). Old English long vowels tended to shorten before many consonant clusters. Hence meet/met (earlier mette), five/fifteen, house/husband, break/breakfast.

meta-

word-forming element of Greek origin meaning 1. "after, behind; among, between," 2. "changed, altered," 3. "higher, beyond;" from Greek meta (prep.) "in the midst of; in common with; by means of; between; in pursuit or quest of; after, next after, behind," in compounds most often meaning "change" of place, condition, etc. This is from PIE *me- "in the middle" (source also of German mit, Gothic miþ, Old English mið "with, together with, among").

The notion of "changing places with" probably led to the senses of "change of place, order, or nature," which was a principal meaning of the Greek word when used as a prefix (but it also denoted "community, participation; in common with; pursuing").

The third, modern, sense, "higher than, transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of," is due to misinterpretation of metaphysics (q.v.) as "science of that which transcends the physical." This has led to a prodigious erroneous extension in modern usage, with meta- affixed to the names of other sciences and disciplines, especially in the academic jargon of literary criticism: Metalanguage (1936) "a language which supplies terms for the analysis of an 'object' language;" metalinguistics (by 1949); metahistory (1957), metacommunication, etc.

metabolize (v.)

1887 (transitive) "to subject to metabolism, transform by assimilation or decomposition;" 1934 (intransitive) "to perform metabolism;" from Greek metabole "a change" (see metabolism) + -ize. Related: Metabolized; metabolizing.

metabolic (adj.)

1845 in the biological sense "exhibiting or affected by metabolism," from German metabolisch (1839), from Greek metabolikos "changeable," from metabole "a change, changing, a transition" (see metabolism). Related: Metabolically.

metabolism (n.)

1878 in the physiology sense of "the sum of the chemical changes within the body by which the protoplasm is renewed, changed, or prepared for excretion," from French métabolisme, from Greek metabole "a change," from metaballein "to change," from meta "change" (see meta-) + ballein "to throw" (from PIE root *gwele- "to throw, reach"). The word also has been used in theology, poetics, and entomology.

metacarpus (n.)

"the middle bones of the hand," 1650s, Modern Latin, from Greek metakarpion, from meta "between; next after" (see meta-) + karpos "wrist" (see carpus). In humans, the part of the hand between the wrist and the fingers or thumb (corresponding to the metatarsus of the foot). Related: Metacarpal.

metacommunication (n.)

"a secondary communication that takes place with, or underlies, a more obvious communication," 1951, from meta- in the third sense of "transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of" + communication.

metal (n.)

an undecomposable elementary substance having certain recognizable qualities (opacity, conductivity, plasticity, high specific gravity, etc.), mid-13c., from Old French metal "metal; material, substance, stuff" (12c.), from Latin metallum "metal, mineral; mine, quarry," from Greek metallon "metal, ore" (senses found only in post-classical texts, via the notion of "what is got by mining"); originally "mine, quarry-pit," probably a back-formation from metalleuein "to mine, to quarry," a word of unknown origin. Perhaps related somehow to metallan "to seek after," but Beekes finds this "hardly convincing."

The concept was based on the metals known from antiquity: gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin. As an adjective, "of or covered with metal," from late 14c. As short for heavy metal (rock music) by 1980. Metal-work "work, especially artistic work, in metal" is by 1724.

metallic (adj.)

early 15c., "of metal, made from metal," from Latin metallicus "of or belonging to metal," from Greek metallikos, from metallon "metal, ore" (see metal). Specific use in chemistry, indicating the condition of a metal in which it exists by itself, not mineralized or combined with substances which convert it into an ore, is by 1797.

metallotherapy (n.)

"treatment of disease by the external application of metals," by 1856, from metallon, Greek source of metal (n.) + therapy.

metallurgy (n.)

"the science of smelting," 1670s, from Modern Latin metallurgia, from Greek metallourgos "worker in metal," from metallon "metal" (see metal) + -ergos "that works," from ergon "work" (from PIE root *werg- "to do"). Related: Metallurgical; metallurgist (1660s).

metalogical (n.)

"beyond the sphere of logic, transcending logic," by 1865; see meta- in the third sense of "transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of" + logical. Related: Metalogic (n.), by 1842; metalogical.

metamathematics (n.)

"the metaphysics of mathematics," including the philosophy of non-Euclidian geometry, 1878, from meta- in the sense of "transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of" + mathematics. Related: Metamathematical.

metamorphic (adj.)

1833 (Lyell) in the geological sense, "exhibiting change in form or structure," in reference to rock whose form has been changed by heat or pressure, from Greek meta "trans-" (see meta-) + morphē "form," a word of uncertain origin. Earlier (1816) in a theological sense, "characterized by change of form," from metamorphosis + -ic.

metamorphize (v.)

"to change, transform" (trans.), 1590s, from Greek meta, here indicating "change" (see meta-) + morphē "form, shape," a word of uncertain etymology, + -ize. Related: Metamorphized; metamorphizing. Alternative verbal form metamorphosize is attested from 1841; the earlier word was metamorphose.

metamorphism (n.)

"the process of changing form or structure," 1837, from metamorphic + -ism. Specifically, in geology, chemical change and rearrangement of the constituents of rock by which they assume new forms and combinations.

metamorphose (v.)

"to change into a different form, alter or modify the shape or character of," 1570s, from French métamorphoser (16c.), from métamorphose (n.), from Latin metamorphosis (see metamorphosis). Related: Metamorphosed. The Greek verb was metamorphoun.

metamorphosis (n.)

1530s, "change of form or structure, action or process of changing in form," originally especially by witchcraft, from Latin metamorphosis, from Greek metamorphōsis "a transforming, a transformation," from metamorphoun "to transform, to be transfigured," from meta, here indicating "change" (see meta-) + morphē "shape, form," a word of uncertain etymology.

The biological sense of "extensive transformations an animal (especially an insect) undergoes after it leaves the egg" is from 1660s. As the title of Ovid's work, late 14c., Metamorphoseos, from Latin Metamorphoses (plural).

metanalysis (n.)

in linguistics, "re-interpretation of the division between words" (as an apron from a napron, an adder from a nadder), 1914, from meta- "transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of" + analysis. Coined by Danish philologist Otto Jespersen.

metanoia (n.)

1768, "penitence, spiritual conversion," from Greek metanoia "afterthought, repentance," from metanoein "to change one's mind or purpose," from meta, here indicating "change" (see meta-) + noein "to have mental perception," from noos "mind, thought," which is of uncertain origin.

metaphor (n.)

"figure of speech by which a characteristic of one object is assigned to another, different but resembling it or analogous to it; comparison by transference of a descriptive word or phrase," late 15c., methaphoris (plural), from French metaphore (Old French metafore, 13c.) and directly from Latin metaphora, from Greek metaphora "a transfer," especially of the sense of one word to a different word, literally "a carrying over," from metapherein "to transfer, carry over; change, alter; to use a word in a strange sense," from meta "over, across" (see meta-) + pherein "to carry, bear" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children").

metaphoric (adj.)

"pertaining to or of the nature of a metaphor; not literal," 1590s, from metaphor + -ic. Greek metaphorikos meant "apt at metaphors." Related: Metaphorical (1550s) "of or characterized by metaphor;" metaphorically.

metaphrastic (adj.)

"close or literal in translation," 1752, from Greek metaphrastikos "paraphrastic," from metaphrasis "paraphrase," from metaphrazein "to paraphrase, translate," from meta- "change" (see meta-) + phrazein "to tell, declare, point out, show" (see phrase (n.)). Metaphrasis as "a translation," especially one done word-by-word, is in English from 1560s. Related: Metaphrastical; metaphrastically (1570s).

metaphysics (n.)

"the science of the inward and essential nature of things," 1560s, plural of Middle English metaphisik, methaphesik (late 14c.), "branch of speculation which deals with the first causes of things," from Medieval Latin metaphysica, neuter plural of Medieval Greek (ta) metaphysika, from Greek ta meta ta physika "the (works) after the Physics," title of the 13 treatises which traditionally were arranged after those on physics and natural sciences in Aristotle's writings. See meta- + physics.

The name was given c.70 B.C.E. by Andronicus of Rhodes, and was a reference to the customary ordering of the books, but it was misinterpreted by Latin writers as meaning "the science of what is beyond the physical." The word originally was used in English in the singular; the plural form predominated after 17c., but singular made a comeback late 19c. in certain usages under German influence. From 17c. also sometimes "philosophy in general," especially "the philosophical study of the mind, psychology."

metaphysic (n.)

late 14c., metaphisik, metafisik, "metaphysics," also "natural theology," from Old French metafisique and directly from Medieval Latin metaphysica (see metaphysics). This was the usual form of metaphysics until 16c.; it was somewhat revived 19c. under German influence.

metaphysical (adj.)

early 15c., metaphisicalle, "pertaining to metaphysics," from methaphesik (late 14c.) + -al, and in part from Medieval Latin metaphysicalis, from Medieval Latin metaphysica (see metaphysics). It came to be used more loosely in the sense of "abstract, speculative, apart from ordinary or practical modes of thought" (among others by Samuel Johnson, who applied it to certain 17c. poets, notably Donne and Cowley, who used "witty conceits" and abstruse imagery), and often had more or less a depreciative sense. Related: Metaphysically.

metaphysician (n.)

"one versed in the science of metaphysics," mid-15c., perhaps from Old French methafisicien (14c., Modern French métaphysicien), or from metaphysic on the model of physician. In later colloquial use "one who practices the mind-cure," 1881.

metapolitics (n.)

1784, "abstract political science; purely speculative treatment of politics, unrelated to practical matters;" see meta- "transcending, overarching, dealing with the most fundamental matters of" + politics. Based on metaphysics. Related: Metapolitical, which is attested from 1670s in the sense of "outside the realm of politics."