The word "meta" refers to something that is self-referential or about itself. It is used to describe things that talk about or analyze other things of the same kind. Full definition
Phase two is optimizing the text on your website, which includes the development of meta tags (title, description & keywords) coded into your site that the search engines read. (attorneysonlineinc.com)
Keywords in meta descriptions do not cause ranks to go up but the improved click through rate by users seeing a keyword and a solid reason to click, can help your SEO. (legalmarketingreview.com)
Read the title tags and meta descriptions of higher ranked pages for inspiration and examples. (oberlo.com)