prototype
noun
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The prefix prot-, or proto-, comes from Greek and has the basic meaning "first in time" or "first formed." A prototype is someone or something that serves as a model or inspiration for those that come later. A successful fund-raising campaign can serve as a prototype for future campaigns. The legendary Robin Hood, the "prototypical" kindhearted and honorable outlaw, has been the inspiration for countless other romantic heroes. And for over a century, Vincent van Gogh has been the prototype of the brilliant, tortured artist who is unappreciated in his own time.
Examples of prototype in a Sentence
Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
Real Ice hopes to test a prototype this year, says co-CEO Andrea Ceccolini, an Italian computer scientist and investor who joined the company in 2022.
—Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
The prototype signature model made for Chet Atkins, by Gretsch, in 1955.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Those efforts included the design of an unpressurized rover prototype, known as the ground test unit.
—Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prototype
Cite this Entry
“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prototype. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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prototype
noun
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