Search Result for "meta":

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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]
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

META The assembly language for the CYBER 200, developed at CDC ca 1977. [CDC Pub 60256020]. [Jargon File] (1994-11-16)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

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, metadata 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)
The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

meta /me't@/, /may´t@/, /mee´t@/, 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.