Protocol

protocol - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French protocolle, protocole (“document, record”), from Late Latin protocollum (“the first sheet of a volume (on which contents and errata were written)”), from Byzantine Greek πρωτόκολλον (prōtókollon, “first sheet glued onto a manuscript”), from πρῶτος (prôtos, “first”) + κόλλα (kólla, “glue”).

Noun

protocol (countable and uncountable, plural protocols)

(now chiefly historical) The minutes, or official record, of a negotiation or transaction; especially a document drawn up officially which forms the legal basis for subsequent agreements based on it. [from 15th c.] quotations ▼
(international law, now rare) An official record of a diplomatic meeting or negotiation; later specifically, a draft document setting out agreements to be signed into force by a subsequent formal treaty. [from 17th c.] quotations ▼
(international law) An amendment to an official treaty. [from 19th c.] quotations ▼
The first leaf of a roll of papyrus, or the official mark typically found on such a page. [from 19th c.] quotations ▼
The official formulas which appeared at the beginning or end of certain official documents such as charters, papal bulls etc. [from 19th c.] quotations ▼
(sciences) The original notes of observations made during an experiment; also, the precise method for carrying out or reproducing a given experiment. [from 19th c.] quotations ▼
The official rules and guidelines for heads of state and other dignitaries, governing accepted behaviour in relations with other diplomatic representatives or over affairs of state. [from 19th c.] quotations ▼
(by extension) An accepted code of conduct; acceptable behaviour in a given situation or group. [from 20th c.] quotations ▼
(computing) A set of formal rules describing how to transmit or exchange data, especially across a network. [from 20th c.] quotations ▼
(medicine) The set of instructions allowing a licensed medical professional to start, modify, or stop a medical or patient care order. [from 20th c.]
(Roman Catholicism) The introduction of a liturgical preface, immediately following the Sursum corda dialogue. quotations ▼
(object-oriented programming) In some programming languages, a data type declaring a set of members that must be implemented by a class or other data type.