variants or before a vowel prot-
1
a
: first in time
protohistory
b
: beginning : giving rise to
protoplanet
2
: parent substance of a (specified) substance
protactinium
3
: first formed : primary
protoxylem
4
capitalized : relating to or constituting the recorded or assumed language that is ancestral to a language or to a group of related languages or dialects
Proto-Indo-European

Word History

Etymology

Greek prōt-, prōto-, from prōtos; akin to Greek pro before — more at for

Dictionary Entries Near proto-

Cite this Entry

“Proto-.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proto-. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

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