shipbuilding The point of intersection between two vertical lines, one line through the center of buoyancy of the hull of a ship in equilibrium and the other line through the center of buoyancy of the hull when the ship is inclined to one side; the distance of this intersection above the center of gravity is an indication of the stability of the ship.

synonym: metacentre.

Roget 222: centrality, centricalness^†, center; middle etc. 68; focus etc. 74.    core, kernel; nucleus, nucleolus; heart, pole axis, bull's eye; nave, navel; umbilicus, backbone, marrow, pith; vertebra, vertebral column; hotbed; concentration etc. (convergence) 290; centralization; symmetry.    center of gravity, center of pressure, center of percussion, center of oscillation, center of buoyancy &c.; metacenter^†.    ... show more