metaphase

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noun

The stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.

OriginEnglish phase ← New Latin phasis ← Ancient Greek φάσις (phásis) →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounmetaphase (countable and uncountable, plural metaphases)

plural metaphases

  1. countableuncountablebiologyThe stage of mitosis and meiosis that follows prophase and comes before anaphase, during which condensed chromosomes become aligned before being separated.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*me
  2. Proto-Indo-European*meth₂?
  3. Ancient Greekμετᾰ́ (metắ)
  4. Ancient Greekμετᾰ- (metă-)
  5. Englishmeta-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
  8. Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
  9. Ancient Greekφᾰ(ν)- (phă(n)-)
  10. Ancient Greekφάσις (phásis)
  11. New Latinphasis
  12. Englishphase
  13. Englishmetaphase

From meta- + phase.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech metafáze
  • metafázeTranslations
Finnish metafaasi
  • metafaasiTranslations
French métaphase
  • métaphaseTranslations
German Metaphase
  • MetaphaseTranslations
Hungarian metafázis
  • metafázisTranslations
Indonesian metafase
  • metafaseTranslations
Italian metafase
  • metafaseTranslations
Polish metafaza
  • metafazaTranslations
Portuguese metáfase
  • metáfaseTranslations
Romanian metafază
  • metafazăTranslations
Spanish metafase
  • metafaseTranslations
Tagalog lakdawyugto
  • lakdawyugtoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

metaphase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphase

MLA

“metaphase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphase. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metaphase,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metaphase.

Source: metaphase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.