METACENTRIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does metacentric mean? 

• METACENTRIC (adjective)
  The adjective METACENTRIC has 2 senses:

1. of or relating to the metacenter

2. having two equal arms because of the median position of the centromere

  Familiarity information: METACENTRIC used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• METACENTRIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the metacenter

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Domain category:

ship building; shipbuilding (the construction of ships)

Pertainym:

metacenter ((shipbuilding) the point of intersection between two vertical lines, one line through the center of buoyancy of the hull of a ship in equilibrium and the other line through the center of buoyancy of the hull when the ship is inclined to one side; the distance of this intersection above the center of gravity is an indication of the stability of the ship)

Derivation:

metacenter ((shipbuilding) the point of intersection between two vertical lines, one line through the center of buoyancy of the hull of a ship in equilibrium and the other line through the center of buoyancy of the hull when the ship is inclined to one side; the distance of this intersection above the center of gravity is an indication of the stability of the ship)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having two equal arms because of the median position of the centromere

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

a metacentric chromosome

Pertainym:

centromere (a specialized condensed region of each chromosome that appears during mitosis where the chromatids are held together to form an X shape)

 Context examples 

Metacentric chromosomes produced during MEIOSIS or MITOSIS when the CENTROMERE splits transversely instead of longitudinally.

(Isochromosome, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The nonstaining primary constriction of a chromosome which is the point of attachment of the spindle fiber; provides the mechanism of chromosome movement during cell division; the centromere divides the chromosome into two arms, and its position is constant for a specific chromosome: near one end (acrocentric), near the center (metacentric), or between (submetacentric).

(Centromere, NCI Thesaurus)