proto-

1. (morpheme) An early, primitive stage of development.
2. (morpheme) Original, older.
3. (morpheme, numeral, ordinal) First in order; which stage is first.
4. (morpheme) Primary.
5. (morpheme) Most recent common ancestor (often hypothetical) of.
6. (morpheme) A minimal proportion of a particular substance when in a combination. See protosalt.
7. (morpheme) Relating to protons and/or positive charge.
8. (morpheme, obsolete) A proto-metal.
9. (morpheme) Anterior.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɹəʊ.təʊ/

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πρωτο- (prōto-), combination form of πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”), superlative of πρό (pró, “before”).

Synonyms

proto