Proto

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Proto- \Pro"to-\ [Gr. prw^tos first, a superl. fr. pro` before.
     See {Pro-}.]
     1. A combining form prefix signifying first, primary,
        primordial; as, protomartyr, the first martyr;
        protomorphic, primitive in form; protoplast, a primordial
        organism; prototype, protozoan.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.)
        (a) Denoting the first or lowest of a series, or the one
            having the smallest amount of the element to the name
            of which it is prefixed; as protoxide, protochloride,
            etc.
        (b) Sometimes used as equivalent to mono-, as indicating
            that the compound has but one atom of the element to
            the name of which it is prefixed. Also used
            adjectively.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  proto
       adj : indicating the first or earliest or original; "`proto' is a
             combining form in a word like `protolanguage' that
             refers to the hypothetical ancestor of another language
             or group of languages" [syn: {proto(a)}]