thesis
Cross references: 1. synthesis 2. arsis the.sis \'the--s*s, Brit esp for 4 'thes-is\ \'the--.se-z\ n or the.ses [L, fr. Gk, lit., act of laying down, fr. tithenai to put, lay down - m] [LL & Gk; LL, lowering of the voice, fr. Gk, downbeat, more important part of f] pl ore at DO 1a: a position or proposition that a person (as a candidate for scholastic honors) advances and offers to maintain by argument 1b: a proposition to be proved or one advanced without proof : HYPOTHE SIS 2: the first and last adequate stage of dialectic 3: a dissertation embodying results of original research and esp. substanti ating a specific view; esp : one written by a candidate for an academic degreeoot, lit., act of laying down 4a1: the unstressed part of a poetic foot esp. in accentual verse 4a2: the longer part of a poetic foot esp. in quantitative verse 4b: the accented part of a musical measure : DOWNBEAT
Webster's English Dictionary