metatable

M3E1T1A1T1A1B3L1E1

noun

A table (of key-value pairs) associated with another object, which uses the functions (or other data) it contains to define the behaviour of that object under certain conditions.

Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounmetatable (plural metatables)

plural metatables

  1. computingA table (of key-value pairs) associated with another object, which uses the functions (or other data) it contains to define the behaviour of that object under certain conditions.

Origin

From meta- + table.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tablemate
Cite this entry
APA

metatable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metatable

MLA

“metatable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metatable. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metatable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metatable.

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