prosthetic

[ pros-thet-ik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to an artificial body part or prosthesis:

   He was fitted for a prosthetic arm.

2. of or relating to the fields of surgical or dental prosthetics:

   advances in prosthetic technology.

3. of or relating to a substance, item, or process used to transform a person’s appearance temporarily, especially as a theatrical special effect:

   The final scene required painstaking application of prosthetic hair and skin.

noun

1. an artificial body part; a prosthesis:

   Hundreds of amputees volunteered to test the new prosthetics.

2. an appearance-altering substance or item applied temporarily to a person’s face or body, especially to create a theatrical special effect:

   Alien creatures are brought to life with realistic prosthetics.

Other Words From

• pros·thet·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prosthetic¹

1735–40; < Modern Latin prostheticus, from Hellenistic Greek prosthetikós, equivalent to prósthet(os) “added on,” verbid of prostithе́nai “to add, put onto” ( pros- pros- ( def ). + the-, stem of tithе́nai “to put, place” + -tos verbid suffix) + -ikos -ic ( def )

Example Sentences

Using signals from both sides of his brain, Chmielewski was able to controll two prosthetic arms.

From Science News For Students

Smart prosthetics seamlessly simulate touch, pain, pressure, and other skin sensations.

From Singularity Hub 

Their basic OPRA system anchors directly to the bone via osseointegration, which avoids the sores and infections associated with traditional socket prosthetics and enables greater mobility.

From Popular-Science

At the end of the film, viewers see a closeup shot of the actor’s extremely large prosthetic penis.

From No Straight News

When you consider the customization and capabilities of the prosthetic, this is incredibly low.

From Singularity Hub