metastable

See also: métastable

English

Etymology

From meta- +‎ stable.

Adjective

metastable (not comparable)

1. (physics, chemistry) Of or pertaining to a physical or chemical state that is relatively long-lived, but may decay to a lower energy state when slightly perturbed or through a quantum transition.

Derived terms

• metastable isomer

Translations

of a long-lived unstable state

• Finnish: metastabiili
• French: métastable (fr)
• German: metastabil (de)
• Greek: μετασταθής (el) (metastathís)
• Italian: metastabile (it)
• Polish: metastabilny
• Portuguese: metaestável
• Romanian: metastabil (ro)
• Spanish: metaestable
• Turkish: yarı kararlı

Noun

metastable (plural metastables)

1. A particle, etc. in the metastable state.

Anagrams

• metatables, stablemate, steam table, steamtable, tablemates