Protactic (a.) Giving a previous narrative or explanation, as of the plot or personages of a play; introductory.
Protagon (n.) A nitrogenous phosphorized principle found in brain tissue. By decomposition it yields neurine, fatty acids, and other bodies.
Protagonist (n.) One who takes the leading part in a drama; hence, one who takes lead in some great scene, enterprise, conflict, or the like.
Protamin (n.) An amorphous nitrogenous substance found in the spermatic fluid of salmon. It is soluble in water, which an alkaline reaction, and unites with acids and metallic bases.
Protandric (a.) Having male sexual organs while young, and female organs later in life.
Protandrous (a.) Proterandrous.
Protasis (n.) A proposition; a maxim.
Protasis (n.) The introductory or subordinate member of a sentence, generally of a conditional sentence; -- opposed to apodosis. See Apodosis.
Protasis (n.) The first part of a drama, of a poem, or the like; the introduction; opposed to epitasis.
Protatic (a.) Of or pertaining to the protasis of an ancient play; introductory.
Proteaceous (a.) Of or pertaining to the Proteaceae, an order of apetalous evergreen shrubs, mostly natives of the Cape of Good Hope or of Australia.
Protean (a.) Of or pertaining to Proteus; characteristic of Proteus.
Protean (a.) Exceedingly variable; readily assuming different shapes or forms; as, an amoeba is a protean animalcule.
Proteanly (adv.) In a protean manner.
Protected (imp. & p. p.) of Protect
Protecting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Protect
Protect (v. t.) To cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety; as, a father protects his children.
Protectingly (adv.) By way of protection; in a protective manner.
Protection (n.) The act of protecting, or the state of being protected; preservation from loss, injury, or annoyance; defense; shelter; as, the weak need protection.
Protection (n.) That which protects or preserves from injury; a defense; a shield; a refuge.
Protection (n.) A writing that protects or secures from molestation or arrest; a pass; a safe-conduct; a passport.
Protection (n.) A theory, or a policy, of protecting the producers in a country from foreign competition in the home market by the imposition of such discriminating duties on goods of foreign production as will restrict or prevent their importation; -- opposed to free trade.
Protectionism (n.) The doctrine or policy of protectionists. See Protection, 4.
Protectionist (n.) One who favors protection. See Protection, 4.
Protective (a.) Affording protection; sheltering; defensive.
Protectiveness (n.) The quality or state of being protective.
Protector (n.) One who, or that which, defends or shields from injury, evil, oppression, etc.; a defender; a guardian; a patron.
Protector (n.) One having the care of the kingdom during the king's minority; a regent.
Protector (n.) A cardinal, from one of the more considerable Roman Catholic nations, who looks after the interests of his people at Rome; also, a cardinal who has the same relation to a college, religious order, etc.
Protectoral (a.) Of or pertaining to a protector; protectorial; as, protectoral power.
Protectorate (n.) Government by a protector; -- applied especially to the government of England by Oliver Cromwell.
Protectorate (n.) The authority assumed by a superior power over an inferior or a dependent one, whereby the former protects the latter from invasion and shares in the management of its affairs.
Protectorial (a.) Same as Protectoral.
Protectorless (a.) Having no protector; unprotected.
Protectorship (n.) The office of a protector or regent; protectorate.
Protectress (n.) Alt. of Protectrix
Protectrix (n.) A woman who protects.
Protege (n. f.) Alt. of Protegee
Protegee (n. f.) One under the care and protection of another.
Proteid (n.) One of a class of amorphous nitrogenous principles, containing, as a rule, a small amount of sulphur; an albuminoid, as blood fibrin, casein of milk, etc. Proteids are present in nearly all animal fluids and make up the greater part of animal tissues and organs. They are also important constituents of vegetable tissues. See 2d Note under Food.
Proteidea (n. pl.) An order of aquatic amphibians having prominent external gills and four legs. It includes Proteus and Menobranchus (Necturus). Called also Proteoidea, and Proteida.
Proteiform (a.) Changeable in form; resembling a Proteus, or an amoeba.
Protein (n.) A body now known as alkali albumin, but originally considered to be the basis of all albuminous substances, whence its name.
Proteinaceous (a.) Of or related to protein; albuminous; proteid.
Proteinous (a.) Proteinaceuos.
Proteles (n.) A South Africa genus of Carnivora, allied to the hyenas, but smaller and having weaker jaws and teeth. It includes the aard-wolf.
Protended (imp. & p. p.) of Protend
Protending (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Protend
Protend (v. t.) To hold out; to stretch forth.
Protense (n.) Extension.
Protension (n.) A drawing out; extension.
Protensive (a.) Drawn out; extended.
Proteolysis (n.) The digestion or dissolving of proteid matter by proteolytic ferments.
Proteolytic (a.) Converting proteid or albuminous matter into soluble and diffusible products, as peptones.
Proterandrous (a.) Having the stamens come to maturity before the pistil; -- opposed to proterogynous.
Proterandry (n.) The condition of being proterandrous.
Proteranthous (a.) Having flowers appearing before the leaves; -- said of certain plants.
Proteroglypha (n. pl.) A suborder of serpents including those that have permanently erect grooved poison fangs, with ordinary teeth behind them in the jaws. It includes the cobras, the asps, and the sea snakes. Called also Proteroglyphia.
Proterogynous (a.) Having the pistil come to maturity before the stamens; protogynous; -- opposed to proterandrous.
Proterosaurus (n.) An extinct genus of reptiles of the Permian period. Called also Protosaurus.
Protervity (n.) Peevishness; petulance.
Protested (imp. & p. p.) of Protest
Protesting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Protest
Protest (v. i.) To affirm in a public or formal manner; to bear witness; to declare solemnly; to avow.
Protest (v. i.) To make a solemn declaration (often a written one) expressive of opposition; -- with against; as, he protest against your votes.
Protest (v. t.) To make a solemn declaration or affirmation of; to proclaim; to display; as, to protest one's loyalty.
Protest (v. t.) To call as a witness in affirming or denying, or to prove an affirmation; to appeal to.
Protest (v.) A solemn declaration of opinion, commonly a formal objection against some act; especially, a formal and solemn declaration, in writing, of dissent from the proceedings of a legislative body; as, the protest of lords in Parliament.
Protest (v.) A solemn declaration in writing, in due form, made by a notary public, usually under his notarial seal, on behalf of the holder of a bill or note, protesting against all parties liable for any loss or damage by the nonacceptance or nonpayment of the bill, or by the nonpayment of the note, as the case may be.
Protest (v.) A declaration made by the master of a vessel before a notary, consul, or other authorized officer, upon his arrival in port after a disaster, stating the particulars of it, and showing that any damage or loss sustained was not owing to the fault of the vessel, her officers or crew, but to the perils of the sea, etc., ads the case may be, and protesting against them.
Protest (v.) A declaration made by a party, before or while paying a tax, duty, or the like, demanded of him, which he deems illegal, denying the justice of the demand, and asserting his rights and claims, in order to show that the payment was not voluntary.
Protestancy (n.) Protestantism.
Protestant (v.) One who protests; -- originally applied to those who adhered to Luther, and protested against, or made a solemn declaration of dissent from, a decree of the Emperor Charles V. and the Diet of Spires, in 1529, against the Reformers, and appealed to a general council; -- now used in a popular sense to designate any Christian who does not belong to the Roman Catholic or the Greek Church.
Protestant (a.) Making a protest; protesting.
Protestant (a.) Of or pertaining to the faith and practice of those Christians who reject the authority of the Roman Catholic Church; as, Protestant writers.
Protestantical (a.) Protestant.
Protestantism (n.) The quality or state of being protestant, especially against the Roman Catholic Church; the principles or religion of the Protestants.
Protestantly (adv.) Like a Protestant; in conformity with Protestantism.
Protestation (n.) The act of making a protest; a public avowal; a solemn declaration, especially of dissent.
Protestation (n.) Formerly, a declaration in common-law pleading, by which the party interposes an oblique allegation or denial of some fact, protesting that it does or does not exist, and at the same time avoiding a direct affirmation or denial.
Protestator (n.) One who makes protestation; a protester.
Protester (n.) One who protests; one who utters a solemn declaration.
Protester (n.) One who protests a bill of exchange, or note.
Protestingly (adv.) By way of protesting.
Proteus (n.) A sea god in the service of Neptune who assumed different shapes at will. Hence, one who easily changes his appearance or principles.
Proteus (n.) A genus of aquatic eel-shaped amphibians found in caves in Austria. They have permanent external gills as well as lungs. The eyes are small and the legs are weak.
Proteus (n.) A changeable protozoan; an amoeba.
Prothalamion (n.) Alt. of Prothalamium
Prothalamium (n.) A song in celebration of a marriage.
Prothallia (pl. ) of Prothallium
Prothallium (n.) Same as Prothallus.
Prothalli (pl. ) of Prothallus
Prothallus (n.) The minute primary growth from the spore of ferns and other Pteridophyta, which bears the true sexual organs; the oophoric generation of ferns, etc.
Prothesis (n.) A credence table; -- so called by the Eastern or Greek Church.
Prothesis (n.) See Prosthesis.
Prothetic (a.) Of or pertaining to prothesis; as, a prothetic apparatus.
-ries (pl. ) of Protonotary
Prothonotary (n.) Alt. of Protonotary
Protonotary (n.) A chief notary or clerk.
Protonotary (n.) Formerly, a chief clerk in the Court of King's Bench and in the Court of Common Pleas, now superseded by the master.