metastable

metastable
1. Of uncertain stability; in a condition to pass into another phase when slightly disturbed; e.g., water, when cooled below the freezing point may remain liquid but will at once congeal if a piece of ice is added. 2. Denoting the excited condition of the nucleus of a radionuclide isomer that reaches a lower energy state by the process of isomeric transition decay without changing its atomic number or weight; e.g., Tc → Tc + γ. [meta- + L. stabilis, stable]

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meta·sta·ble .met-ə-'stā-bəl adj having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability <a \metastable compound>
meta·sta·bil·i·ty -stə-'bil-ət-ē n, pl -ties

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meta·sta·ble (metґə-sta″bəl) 1. a condition differing from stable in that, although the substance is stable in small perturbations, it can be transformed to a more stable condition by relatively large perturbations. 2. subject to inevitable change or destruction eventually, but apparently stable owing to slowness of change.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • métastable — [ metastabl ] adj. • 1903; de méta et stable ♦ Chim., phys. Se dit d un équilibre, d un composé, d un mélange, dont la vitesse de transformation ou de réaction est très faible et donne l apparence de la stabilité. Un équilibre métastable peut… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Metastable — Metastable. См. Метастабильный. (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • metastable — estable en condiciones determinadas y que se hace inestable con rapidez como el agua líquida por debajo del punto de congelación Diccionario ilustrado de Términos Médicos.. Alvaro Galiano. 2010 …   Diccionario médico

  • metastable — [met΄ə′stā′bəl] adj. changing readily either to a more stable or less stable condition, as certain electrons; unstable …   English World dictionary

  • Métastable — Métastabilité Système métastable dans l état 1 : si une énergie faible perturbe le système, il ne franchit pas le seuil 2. Il passe à 3 (stable) après une perturbation plus grande. La métastabilité est la capacité pour un état d être stable… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • metastable — adjective Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary Date: 1897 having or characterized by only a slight margin of stability < a metastable compound > • metastability noun • metastably adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • metastable — metastability /met euh steuh bil i tee/, n. /met euh stay beuhl, met euh stay /, adj. 1. Metall. chemically unstable in the absence of certain conditions that would induce stability, but not liable to spontaneous transformation. 2. Also, labile.… …   Universalium

  • metastable state — Excited state (see excitation) of an atom, nucleus, or other system that has a longer lifetime than the ordinary excited states and generally has a shorter lifetime than the ground state. It can be considered a temporary energy trap or a somewhat …   Universalium

  • metastable condition — metastabilioji būsena statusas T sritis radioelektronika atitikmenys: angl. metastable condition; metastable state vok. metastabiler Zustand, m rus. метастабильное состояние, n pranc. état métastable, m …   Radioelektronikos terminų žodynas

  • metastable state — metastabilioji būsena statusas T sritis radioelektronika atitikmenys: angl. metastable condition; metastable state vok. metastabiler Zustand, m rus. метастабильное состояние, n pranc. état métastable, m …   Radioelektronikos terminų žodynas

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