prosthesis

[ pros-thee-sis for 1; pros-thuh-sis for 2 ]

/ prɒsˈθi sɪs for 1; ˈprɒs θə sɪs for 2 /

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noun, plural pros·the·ses

[pros-thee-seez for 1; pros-thuh-seez for 2 ]. /prɒsˈθi siz for 1; ˈprɒs θəˌsiz for 2 /.

a device, either external or implanted, that substitutes for or supplements a missing or defective part of the body.

Grammar, Prosody. the addition of one or more sounds or syllables to a word or line of verse, especially at the beginning.

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Origin of prosthesis

1545–55; <Late Latin <Greek prósthesis a putting to, addition, equivalent to prós to + thésis a placing; see thesis

OTHER WORDS FROM prosthesis

pros·thet·ic

[pros-thet-ik], /prɒsˈθɛt ɪk/, adjectivepros·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby prosthesis

prostate-specific antigen, prostatic utricle, prostatism, prostatitis, prosternum, prosthesis, prosthetic, prosthetic dentistry, prosthetic group, prosthetics, prosthetist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prosthesis in a sentence

Flying to space won’t be easy—and flying to space with a prosthesis, something no one has done before, will make things more challenging still.
Meet the All-Civilian Crew of Inspiration4, From a St. Jude's Physician Assistant to a Lockheed Martin Engineer|Jeffrey Kluger|August 10, 2021|Time
Most amputations sever the muscle pairs that control joints such as the elbow or ankle, disrupting the sensory feedback about the limb’s position in space that would help patients control a prosthesis.
Better amputations|Anne Trafton|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Other researchers also are testing ways to add tactile feedback to prostheses.
Capturing the sense of touch could upgrade prosthetics and our digital lives|Kathiann Kowalski|April 22, 2021|Science News
Even after the people had used the prosthesis for more than a year, the mismatch didn’t improve.
Capturing the sense of touch could upgrade prosthetics and our digital lives|Kathiann Kowalski|April 22, 2021|Science News

Already, implanted electrodes can record signals from the movement areas of the brain, allowing people to control robotic prostheses.
Can privacy coexist with technology that reads and changes brain activity?|Laura Sanders|February 11, 2021|Science News

British Dictionary definitions for prosthesis

prosthesis

/ (ˈprɒsθɪsɪs, prɒsˈθiːsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)

surgery

the replacement of a missing bodily part with an artificial substitute
an artificial part such as a limb, eye, or tooth

linguistics another word for prothesis

Derived forms of prosthesis

prosthetic (prɒsˈθɛtɪk), adjectiveprosthetically, adverb

Word Origin for prosthesis

C16: via Late Latin from Greek: an addition, from prostithenai to add, from pros- towards + tithenai to place

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for prosthesis

prosthesis

[ prŏs-thē′sĭs ]

Plural prostheses (prŏs-thē′sēz)

An artificial device used to replace a missing or defective body part, such as a limb or a heart valve.

Other words from prosthesis

prosthetic adjective (prŏs-thĕt′ĭk)