protocol

Main Entry:: pro·to·col
Pronunciation:: \ˈprō-tə-ˌkȯl, -ˌkōl, -ˌkäl, -kəl\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle French prothocole, from Medieval Latin protocollum, from Late Greek prōtokollon first sheet of a papyrus roll bearing date of manufacture, from Greek prōt- 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 transaction2 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 negotiators3 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 protocols> c: convention 3a,b4: a detailed plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment, or procedure

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