ETYM Latin, from Greek, an addition; pro to + tithenai, place.
(Irregular plural: prostheses).
Replacement of lost part of body with artificial substitute; addition of sound at beginning of word.
Artificial device used to substitute for a body part which is defective or missing. Prostheses include artificial limbs, hearing aids, false teeth and eyes, heart pacemakers and plastic heart valves and blood vessels.
Prostheses in the form of artificial limbs, such as wooden legs and metal hooks for hands, have been used for centuries, although artificial limbs are now more natural-looking and comfortable to wear. The comparatively new field of bionics has developed myoelectric, or bionic, arms, which are electronically operated and worked by minute electrical impulses from body muscles.
A replacement for a part of the body; SYN. prosthetic device. + prikaži više