ˈpräthəsə̇s noun
( plural prothe·ses -əˌsēz)
Etymology: Greek, presentation of the shewbread, literally, act of placing before, from protithenai to put before, from pro- pro- (I) + tithenai to place, put — more at do
1.
a. : the preparation of the bread and the wine in the liturgy of the Eastern Church
b. : the table on which this preparation is done : credence
c. : the northern part of the bema where this preparation occurs
2.
[Late Latin, from Greek, prefixation, act of placing before]
: prosthesis 2
3. : the addition of an inorganic sound to the beginning of a word (as in Old French estat and English estate from Latin status )