Origin and history of prosthetic

prosthetic(adj.)

1837, "exhibiting or pertaining to prosthesis in grammar;" 1902 in the surgical sense; from Latinized form of Greek prosthetikos "disposed to add," from prosthetos "added or fitted to," verbal adjective of prostithenai "to put to, add to" (see prosthesis). Related: Prosthetically.

also from 1837

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prosthesis(n.)

1550s, in grammar, "addition of a letter or syllable to a word," from Late Latin, from Greek prosthesis "a putting to, an addition," from prostithenai "add to," from pros "to" (see pros-) + tithenai "to put, to place" (from reduplicated form of PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").

From 1706 in medical arts as "the addition of an artificial part to supply a defect of the body" on the notion of "that which is added to" the body. The sense was extended to "artificial body part" by 1900. Plural prostheses.

prosthetics(n.)

"the branch of surgery concerned with the replacement of missing or defective parts of the body," 1894, from prosthetic; also see -ics.

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Origin and history of prosthetic

prosthetic(adj.)

Entries linking to prosthetic

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