prosthesis

noun

pros·​the·​sis präs-ˈthē-səs 

ˈpräs-thə-

plural prostheses präs-ˈthē-ˌsēz 

ˈpräs-thə-

: an artificial device to replace or augment a missing or impaired part of the body

upper and lower limb prostheses

a postmastectomy breast prosthesis

removable dental prostheses

Examples of prosthesis in a Sentence

She was fitted with a prosthesis to replace her missing leg.

Recent Examples on the Web

Only one had a prosthesis that contained a microprocessor. —Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

There were no differences in user satisfaction between prosthesis types, and of those who reported using myoelectric prostheses, 44 percent went on to abandon them altogether. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 9 Dec. 2024

While the government does not provide official figures on amputations, a state program issued prostheses to almost 20,000 people across 2023 and the first half of 2024, and many others were helped by private programs in Ukraine and abroad. —Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025

Still, an October report by the Government Accountability Office found that only 30% of beneficiaries who lost a limb in 2016 received a prosthesis in the following three years. —Michelle Andrews | Kff Health News, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, addition, from prostithenai to add to, from pros- in addition to + tithenai to put — more at pros-, do

First Known Use

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prosthesis

• transgresses
• arthrodesis
• catechesis
• diuresis
• hysteresis
• dessus
• nessus

Kids Definition

prosthesis

noun

pros·​the·​sis präs-ˈthē-səs 

ˈpräs-thə-

plural prostheses -ˌsēz 

: an artificial device that replaces a missing part of the body

prosthetic

präs-ˈthet-ik

adjective

Medical Definition

prosthesis

noun

pros·​the·​sis präs-ˈthē-səs, ˈpräs-thə- 

plural prostheses -ˌsēz 

: an artificial device to replace or augment a missing or impaired part of the body

transtibial prostheses

a postmastectomy breast prosthesis

biological and mechanical heart valve prostheses