n. (used with a sing. verb)
The French absurdist concept of a philosophy or science dedicated to studying what lies beyond the realm of metaphysics, intended as a parody of the methods and theories of modern science and often expressed in nonsensical language.
[French pataphysique, alteration of Greek ta epi ta metaphusika, the (works) after the metaphysics (pseudo-title of a work by Aristotle modeled on ta meta ta phusika, the (works) after the Physics, Aristotle's Metaphysics) : epi, after; see epi- + metaphusika, metaphysics; see metaphysics.]
pataphysical pa'ta·phys'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.
