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Glite Dictionary
⚓ Related to stability 🧬 Equal-length arms
metacentric

metacentric

9.9
Situated at a center that makes a floating object stable, for example a ship
  • adjective
  • /ˌmɛtəˈsɛntrɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metacéntrico
  • The metacentric design of the boat ensures stability.

Examples

  • Engineers ran calculations to determine the vessel's metacentric stability in rough waters.

  • A ship with a high metacentric height is more stable but may roll uncomfortably.

  • The scientist described the chromosome as metacentric due to its centrally located centromere.

  • In biology, a metacentric chromosome has arms of equal length.

  • The boat's metacentric stability allows it to remain upright in rough waters.

  • In marine engineering, understanding metacentric properties is essential for designing safe vessels.

  • A metacentric chromosome has both arms of equal length, which is crucial for proper genetic function.

Compounds

metacentric chromosome
  • Specialized
8.9

A chromosome with its middle part near the center so the two arms are almost the same length

Surface Forms

metacentric positive

Morphology

metacentric = metacenter (semi-transparent) = meta + center + ic

The adjective is formed regularly from the technical noun 'metacenter', but the specialized stability sense is not easily inferable for a general learner.

Etymology

Metacentric comes from the parts meta- meaning 'near' or 'beyond' and centric meaning 'center', so it literally means 'near the center'. That's why a metacentric ship is described by its metacenter—the point near the center that helps decide the vessel's balance and stability.