[1] : 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. mithorn, 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
see also:
ortho- para- 

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

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.


see also:
hacker humor 

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

meta
     
         the assembly language for the cyber 200,
        developed at cdc ca 1977.
     
        cdc pub 60256020.
     
        jargon file
     
        1994-11-16
     
     
see also:
assembly language cyber 200 cdc jargon file 

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

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
     
     
see also:
metasyntax syntax metalanguage meta-data meta-reasoning jargon file 

[5] : U.S. Gazetteer (1990)

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 codes: 65058

[6] : U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

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

Meta- >> M Words
Meta-, definition of term: Meta-
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