n.
Pronunciation: ' pr ō -t ə - ˌ ko ̇ l, - ˌ k ō l, - ˌ käl, -k ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French prothocole, from Medieval Latin protocollum, from Late Greek pr ō tokollon first sheet of a papyrus roll bearing date of manufacture, from Greek pr ō t- prot- + kollan to glue together, from kolla glue; perhaps akin to Middle Dutch helen to glue
Date: 1541
1 : an original draft, minute, or record of a document or transaction
2 a : a preliminary memorandum often formulated and signed by diplomatic negotiators as a basis for a final convention or treaty b : the records or minutes of a diplomatic conference or congress that show officially the agreements arrived at by the negotiators
3 a : a code prescribing strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence (as in diplomatic exchange and in the military services) <a breach of protocol > b : a set of conventions governing the treatment and especially the formatting of data in an electronic communications system <network protocol s > c : CONVENTION 3A,B
4 : a detailed plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment, or procedure