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metastable
[ met-uh-stey-buhl, met-uh-stey- ]
adjective
- Metallurgy. chemically unstable in the absence of certain conditions that would induce stability, but not liable to spontaneous transformation.
metastable
/ ˌmɛtəˈsteɪbəl /
adjective
- (of a body or system) having a state of apparent equilibrium although capable of changing to a more stable state
- (of an atom, molecule, ion, or atomic nucleus) existing in an excited state with a relatively long lifetime
noun
- a metastable atom, ion, molecule, or nucleus
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Derived Forms
- ˌmetastaˈbility, noun
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Other Words From
- met·a·sta·bil·i·ty [met-, uh, -st, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of metastable1
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Example Sentences
To this fact van't Hoff attributes the great permanence of many really unstable (or metastable) carbon compounds.
From Project Gutenberg
At any point outside this area, monoclinic sulphur can exist only in a metastable condition.
From Project Gutenberg
This law explains the formation of the metastable forms of monotropic substances, which would otherwise not be obtainable.
From Project Gutenberg
Two of these solutions, however, would be metastable and supersaturated with respect to the decahydrate.
From Project Gutenberg
The dotted portions of the curves represent metastable equilibria.
From Project Gutenberg
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