Spellingbee word:
protasis

\Prot"a*sis\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to stretch before, forward; ? before + ? to stretch.] 1. A proposition; a maxim. --Johnson.

2. (Gram.) The introductory or subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence; -- opposed to apodosis. See Apodosis.

3. The first part of a drama, of a poem, or the like; the introduction; opposed to epitasis. --B. Jonson.