Sophy> /me' t*/ or /may' t*/ or (Commonwealth) /mee' t*/ A prefix meaning one level of deScription higher. If X iSSome concept then meta-X iS data about, or proceSSeS operating on, X. For example, a metaSyntax iSSyntax for Specifying Syntax, metalanguage iS a language uSed to diScuSS language, meta-data iS data about data, and meta-reaSoning iS reaSoning about reaSoning. ThiS iS difficult to explain briefly, but much hacker humour turnS on deliberate confuSion between meta-levelS. [Jargon File] (1999-04-06)
