thesis

noun (plural theses) Etymology: in sense 1, Middle English, lowering of the voice, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, downbeat, more important part of a foot, literally, act of laying down; in other senses, Latin, from Greek, literally, act of laying down, from tithenai to put, lay down — more at do Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) the unstressed part of a poetic foot especially in accentual verse (2) the longer part of a poetic foot especially in quantitative verse b. the accented part of a musical measure ; downbeat — compare arsis 2. a. a position or proposition that a person (as a candidate for scholastic honors) advances and offers to maintain by argument b. a proposition to be proved or one advanced without proof ; hypothesis 3. the first and least adequate stage of dialectic — compare synthesis 4. a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view; especially one written by a candidate for an academic degree