Word
prosthetic
Phoneticspros·thet·ic
US/pɹɑsˈθɛtɪk/
UK/pɹəsθˈɛtɪk/
Definitions
01artificial body part
adj. describing an artificial body part that replaces one that is missing.
adj. serving as an artificial substitute for a missing or defective body part.
“After the accident, he was fitted with a prosthetic leg so he could walk again.”
“Advances in materials science have led to prosthetic limbs that offer a much wider range of motion than older models.”
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02an artificial limb
n. an artificial device used to replace a missing part of the body.
n. an artificial device, such as a limb or a heart valve, that replaces a missing or malfunctioning body part.
“The athlete adjusted her prosthetic before the race started.”
“The surgeon explained that the modern prosthetic would be integrated directly with the patient's bone structure for better stability.”
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03theatrical makeup
n. a piece of artificial material, like fake skin or a fake nose, that an actor wears to change their look.
n. an artificial feature or appliance applied to an actor's face or body to alter their appearance for a role.
“The actor spent four hours in makeup having a prosthetic nose applied.”
“The film won an award for its use of complex prosthetics to transform the lead actor into a mythical creature.”
Technical
Real-World Examples
“Rights campaigner Westbrook highlighted Israel’s blockade on Gaza, which prevents medicines and prosthetics from entering the Gaza Strip following Israeli destruction of the territory’s medical facilities.” “I don’t particularly look like John Lennon, but apparently there’s something about the bridge of my nose that looks a bit like his, which is what the wonderful prosthetics people focused on.” Etymology
From New Latin prostheticus, from Ancient Greek προσθετικός (prosthetikós, “adding; repletive; giving additional power”), from πρόσθεσις (prósthesis, “addition”), from προστίθημι (prostíthēmi, “I add”), from πρός (prós, “towards”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I place”). By surface analysis, prosth- + -etic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/prosthetic