metacenter

American  

[met-uh-sen-ter] / ˈmɛt əˌsɛn tər /

especially British, metacentre

noun

Naval Architecture.

1. the intersection between two vertical lines, one through the center of buoyancy of a hull in equilibrium, the other through the center of buoyancy when the hull is inclined slightly to one side or toward one end: the distance of this intersection above the center of gravity is an indication of the initial stability of the hull.

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Etymology

Origin of metacenter

From the French word métacentre, dating back to 1785–95. See meta-, center