metastable

adj, noun — 2 senses

metastable

adj

Etymology From meta- + stable.

Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics 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, metastably, nonmetastable

metastable

noun

Etymology From meta- + stable.

A particle, etc. in the metastable state.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.