2. (Biol.) A change in the form or function of a living organism, by a
natural process of growth or development; as, the metamorphosis of the
yolk into the embryo, of a tadpole into a frog, or of a bud into a
blossom. Especially, that form of sexual reproduction in which an
embryo undergoes a series of marked changes of external form, as the
chrysalis stage, pupa stage, etc., in insects. In these intermediate
stages sexual reproduction is usually impossible, but they ultimately
pass into final and sexually developed forms, from the union of which
organisms are produced which pass through the same cycle of changes.
See Transformation.
3. (Physiol.) The change of material of one kind into another through
the agency of the living organism; metabolism.
Vegetable metamorphosis (Bot.), the doctrine that flowers are
homologous with leaf buds, and that the floral organs are transformed
leaves.
||Met`a*nau"pli*us (?), n. [NL. See Meta-, and Nauplius.] (Zoöl.) A
||larval crustacean in a stage following the nauplius, and having about
||seven pairs of appendages.
Met`a*ne*phrit"ic (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the metanephros.
||Met`a*neph"ros (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; behind + &?; kidney.]
||(Anat.) The most posterior of the three pairs of embryonic renal
||organs developed in many vertebrates.
||Met`a*no"tum (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; behind + &?; back.] (Zoöl.)
||The dorsal portion of the metaphorax of insects.
Met`an*ti*mo"nate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of metantimonic acid.
Met`an*ti*mon"ic (?), a. [Pref. met- + antimonic.] (Chem.) (a)
Pertaining to, or designating, an acid (formerly called antimonic acid)
analogous to metaphosphoric acid, and obtained as a white amorphous
insoluble substance, (HSbO3). (b) Formerly, designating an acid, which
is now properly called pyroantimonic acid, and analogous to
pyrophosphoric acid.
Met`a*pec"tic (?), a. [Pref. meta- + pectic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to,
or designating, a supposed acid obtained from pectin.
Met`a*pec"tin (?), n. (Chem.) A substance obtained from, and
resembling, pectin, and occurring in overripe fruits.
Met`a*pep"tone (?), n. [Pref. meta- + peptone.] (Physiol. Chem.) An
intermediate product formed in the gastric digestion of albuminous
matter.
Met"a*phor (mt"*fr), n. [F. métaphore, L. metaphora, fr. Gr. metafora`,
fr. metafe`rein to carry over, transfer; meta` beyond, over + fe`rein
to bring, bear.] (Rhet.) The transference of the relation between one
set of objects to another set for the purpose of brief explanation; a
compressed simile; e. g., the ship plows the sea. Abbott & Seeley. "All
the world's a stage." Shak.
The statement, "that man is a fox," is a metaphor; but "that man is
like a fox," is a simile, similitude, or comparison.
{ Met`a*phor"ic (?), Met`a*phor"ic*al (?), } a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F.
métaphorique.] Of or pertaining to metaphor; comprising a metaphor; not
literal; figurative; tropical; as, a metaphorical expression; a
metaphorical sense. -- Met`a*phor"ic*al*ly, adv. --
Met`a*phor"ic*al*ness, n.
Met"a*phor*ist (?), n. One who makes metaphors.
Met`a*phos"phate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of metaphosphoric acid.
Met`a*phos*phor"ic (?), a. [Pref. meta- + phosphoric.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or designating, a monobasic acid, HPO3, analogous to
nitric acid, and, by heating phosphoric acid, obtained as a crystalline
substance, commonly called glacial phosphoric acid.
Met"a*phrase (mt"*frz), n. [Gr. meta`frasis, from metafra`zein to
paraphrase; meta` beyond, over + fra`zein to speak: cf. F. métaphrase.]
1. A verbal translation; a version or translation from one language
into another, word for word; -- opposed to paraphrase. Dryden.