prototype

American  

[proh-tuh-tahyp] / ˈproʊ təˌtaɪp /

noun

1. the original or model on which something is based or formed.

   Synonyms:

   pattern

2. someone or something that serves to illustrate the typical qualities of a class; model; exemplar.

   She is the prototype of a student activist.

3. something analogous to another thing of a later period.

   a Renaissance prototype of our modern public housing.

4. Biology. an archetype; a primitive form regarded as the basis of a group.

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verb (used with object)

prototyped, prototyping

1. to create the prototype or an experimental model of.

   to prototype a solar-power car.

prototype British  

/ ˌprəʊtəˈtɪpɪk, ˈprəʊtəˌtaɪp /

noun

1. one of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially

2. a person or thing that serves as an example of a type

3. biology the ancestral or primitive form of a species or other group; an archetype

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Other Word Forms

• prototypal adjective
• prototypic adjective
• prototypical adjective

Etymology

Origin of prototype

First recorded in 1595–1605; from New Latin prōtotypon, from Greek prōtótypon, noun use of neuter of prōtótypos “original”; proto-, type

Example Sentences

It was a group powered by caffeine, Johnston said, and their coffee came in handy when they needed a liquid prop to do quick demos with the prototypes to test their absorbency.

From The Wall Street Journal

Billions of dollars have been invested in the technology, and in 2018 the US Navy ordered two DEW prototypes for around $75 million each.

From Barron's

“I used the art world as a stage to test the proof of concepts and prototypes,” Halsey said.

From Los Angeles Times

Equipped initially only with ideas and not a working prototype, Pollen and Isherwood sought cooperation and support from the British Admiralty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones is later unveiling the prototype of what he called "government by app" as he launched an eight-week consultation exercise to seek the public's views on how the technology should work.

From BBC

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor