Word of the Day

: October 11, 2006

protocol

noun PROH-tuh-kawl

What It Means

1 : an original record of a document or transaction : memorandum

2 : a code of strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence

3 : a convention for formatting electronic data

protocol in Context

Ed's actions constituted a severe breach of military protocol.

Did You Know?

In Late Greek, the word "prōtokollon" referred to the first sheet of a papyrus roll bearing the date of its manufacture. In some instances, it consisted of a flyleaf that was glued to the outside of a manuscript's case and provided a description of its contents. Coming from the Greek prefix "prōto-" ("first") and the noun "kolla" ("glue"), "prōtokollon" gave us our word "protocol," which in its original English sense (dating from the 16th century) referred to a record of a document or transaction. In the late 19th century, it began to be used in reference to the etiquette observed by the Head of State of France in ceremonies and relations with other dignitaries. This sense has since extended in meaning to cover any code of proper conduct.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.