Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

prothesis

noun proth·e·sis \ ˈprä-thə-səs \

Definition of prothesis

plural protheses play \ˈprä-thə-ˌsēz\
: the addition of a sound to the beginning of a word (as in Old French estat—whence English estate—from Latin status)
—

prothetic

play \prä-ˈthe-tik\ adjective

Origin and Etymology of prothesis

Late Latin, alteration of prosthesis, from Greek, literally, addition — more at prosthesis

Medical Dictionary

prothesis

noun proth·e·sis \ ˈpräth-ə-səs \

medical Definition of prothesis

plural protheses play \-ˌsēz\
: prosthesis
—

prothetic

play \prä-ˈthet-ik\ adjective

Learn More about prothesis

  1. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prothesis

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up prothesis? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

thwart

play

to oppose successfully

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. hogwash 'nonsense, balderdash'

  2. probity 'adherence to the highest principles and ideals'

  3. sequacious 'intellectually servile'

  4. inadmissible 'not capable of being allowed'

  5. oligarch, pejorative 'a member a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

prothesis

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

  • alphabet-pasta-spelling-help
  • Which is the correct spelling?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games