proto-

1. a combining form meaning “first,” “foremost,” “earliest form of,” used in the formation of compound words (protomartyr; protolithic; protoplasm ), specialized in chemical terminology to denote the first of a series of compounds, or the one containing the minimum amount of an element.

proto-

combining form

1. indicating the first in time, order, or rank

   protomartyr

2. primitive, ancestral, or original

   prototype

3. indicating the reconstructed earliest stage of a language

   Proto-Germanic

4. indicating the first in a series of chemical compounds

   protoxide

5. indicating the parent of a chemical compound or an element

   protactinium

Word History and Origins

Origin of proto-¹

< Greek, combining form representing prôtos first, superlative formed from pró; pro- ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of proto-¹

from Greek prōtos first, from pro before; see _pro- ²

Example Sentences

David Nussbaum, Proto Inc. founder and chairman, knows that Stan Lee is only the first step for this technology.

From Los Angeles Times

“Any Proto device can have any piece of content in it, and we also beam people in live. So if you’re interviewing someone in Japan, you could beam there and appear like you are physically among them,” Nussbaum said.

From Los Angeles Times

Proto technology is also HIPAA-compliant, he said, meaning doctors and patients can use it to have “in-person” consultations without being in a room together.

From Los Angeles Times

With a box built by Proto Inc., the company that also launched an interactive mirror from “The Conjuring,” and Hyperreal, a company whose chief executive Remington Scott helped bring Gollum and Smeagol to life for Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” movies and creates realistic avatars, it is an interactive Stan Lee image that processes questions and formulates responses.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the most sublime examples of the form traces back to Anton Chekhov’s wordless short play, “The Sneeze,” a proto-“SNL” skit about a man who accidentally wheezes on the back of a government official’s neck and in his escalating desperation to normalize his oopsie suffers a breakdown and dies.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does proto- mean?

Proto- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “first,” "foremost,” or “earliest form of.” In terms from chemistry, it specifically denotes the first in a series of compounds or the compound containing the minimum amount of an element. It is often used in scientific and technical terms, especially in biology.Proto- comes from Greek prôtos, meaning “first.” The word proton, meaning "a positively charged elementary particle," ultimately shares this same Greek root. The Latin cognate of prôtos is prīmus “first,” which is the source of primary and prime. Check out our entries for both words to learn more.What are variants of proto-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, proto- becomes prot-, as in protium. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use prot- article.