Prothonotary warbler (Zoˆl.), a small American warbler (Protonotaria
citrea). The general color is golden yellow, the back is olivaceous,
the rump and tail are ash- color, several outer tail feathers are
partly white.
Pro*thon"o*ta*ry*ship, n. Office of a prothonotary.
Pro`tho*rac"ic (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Of or pertaining to the prothorax.
Pro*tho"rax (?), n. [Pref. pro- + thorax.] (Zoˆl.) The first or
anterior segment of the thorax in insects. See Illusts. of Butterfly
and Coleoptera.
||Pro* thy`a*lo*so"ma (?), n.; pl. Prothyalosomata (#). [NL., fr. Gr.
||prw^tos first + "y`alos glass + &?;, &?;, body.] (Biol.) The
||investing portion, or spherical envelope, surrounding the eccentric
||germinal spot of the germinal vesicle.
Pro*thy"a*lo*some (?), n. (Biol.) Same as Prothyalosoma.
Pro"tist (?), n. (Zoˆl.) One of the Protista.
||Pro*tis"ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. prw`tistos first.] (Zoˆl.) A
||provisional group in which are placed a number of low microscopic
||organisms of doubtful nature. Some are probably plants, others
||animals.
||Pro*tis"ton (?), n.; pl. Protista (#). [NL.] (Zoˆl.) One of the
||Protista.
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.
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.
Pro`to*ca*non"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to the first canon, or
that which contains the authorized collection of the books of
Scripture; -- opposed to deutero- canonical.
Pro`to*cat`e*chu"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or
designating, an organic acid which is obtained as a white crystalline
substance from catechin, asafetida, oil of cloves, etc., and by
distillation itself yields pyrocatechin.
Pro`to*cer"cal (?), a. [Proto- + Gr. &?; the tail.] (Zoˆl.) Having a
caudal fin extending around the end of the vertebral column, like that
which is first formed in the embryo of fishes; diphycercal.
||Pro`to*coc"cus (?), n. [NL. See Proto-, and Coccus.] (Bot.) A genus
||of minute unicellular algÊ including the red snow plant (Protococcus
||nivalis).
Pro"to*col (?), n. [F. protocole, LL. protocollum, fr. Gr. &?; the
first leaf glued to the rolls of papyrus and the notarial documents, on
which the date was written; prw^tos the first (see Proto-) + &?; glue.]
1. The original copy of any writing, as of a deed, treaty, dispatch, or
other instrument. Burrill.