— prothonotarial /proh thon'euh tair"ee euhl, proh'theuh noh tair"-/ , adj.
/proh thon"euh ter'ee, proh'theuh noh"teuh ree/ , n. , pl. prothonotaries .
1. a chief clerk or official in certain courts of law.
2. Rom. Cath. Ch.
a. any of the seven members of the college of prothonotaries apostolic, charged chiefly with the registry of pontifical acts and canonizations.
b. an honorary title for certain other prelates.
3. Gk. Orth. Ch. the chief secretary of the patriarch of Constantinople.
Also, protonotary .
[ 1400-50; late ME prothonotarius, LL protonotarius protonotários. See PROTO-, NOTARY ]