METATHESIS

metathesis

(noun) a linguistic process of transposition of sounds or syllables within a word or words within a sentence

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

metathesis (countable and uncountable, plural metatheses)

(phonetics, prosody) The transposition of letters, syllables or sounds within a word, such as in ask as /æks/.

Hyponym: hyperthesis

(inorganic chemistry) The double decomposition of inorganic salts.

(organic chemistry) The breaking and reforming of double bonds in olefins in which substituent groups are swapped.

Anagrams

• thematises

Source: Wiktionary

Me*tath"e*sis, n.; pl. Metatheses (. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. meta`thesis, fr. metatithe`nai to place differently, to transpose; meta` beyond, over + tithe`nai to place, set. See Thesis.]

1. (Gram.)

Definition: Transposition, as of the letters or syllables of a word; as, pistris for pristis; meagre for meager.

2. (Med.)

Definition: A mere change in place of a morbid substance, without removal from the body.

3. (Chem.)

Definition: The act, process, or result of exchange, substitution, or replacement of atoms and radicals; thus, by metathesis an acid gives up all or part of its hydrogen, takes on an equivalent amount of a metal or base, and forms a salt.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition