Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRO-TEST', v.t.

1. To call as a witness in affirming or denying, or to prove an affirmation. Fiercely they oppos'd / My journey strange, with clamorous uproar / Protesting fate supreme. – Milton.
2. To prove; to show; to give evidence of. [Not in use.] – Shak.
3. In commerce, to protest a bill of exchange, is for a notary public, at the request of the payee, to make a formal declaration, under hand and seal, against the drawer of the bill, on account of non-acceptance or non-payment, for exchange, cost, commission, damages and interest; of which act the indorser must be notified within such time as the law or custom prescribes. In like manner, notes of hand given to a banking corporation are protested for non-payment.

PROT'EST-ANT, a.

Pertaining to those who, at the reformation of religion, protested against a decree of Charles V. and the diet of Spires; pertaining to the adherents of Luther, or others of the reformed churches; as, the protestant religion. – Addison. Milner.

PROT'EST-ANT, n.

One of the party who adhered to Luther at the Reformation in 1529, and protested, or made a solemn declaration of dissent from a decree of the emperor Charles V. and the diet of Spires, and appealed to a general council. This name was afterward extended to the followers of Calvin, and Protestants is the denomination now given to all who belong to the reformed churches. The king of Prussia has, however, interdicted the use of this name in his dominions.

PROT'EST-ANT-ISM, n.

The protestant religion. – South.

PROT'EST-ANT-LY, adv.

In conformity to the protestants. – Milton. [A very bad word and not used.]

PROT-EST-A'TION, a. [Fr.; from protest.]

1. A solemn declaration of a fact, opinion or resolution. – Hooker.
2. A solemn declaration of dissent; a protest; as, the protestation of certain noblemen against an order of council. – Clarendon.
3. In law, a declaration in pleading, by which the party interposes an oblique allegation or denial of some fact, protesting that it does or does not exist. The lord may alledge the villenage of the plaintif by way protestation, and thus deny the demand. – Blackstone.

PRO-TEST-A'TOR, n.

One who protests.

PRO-TEST'ED, pp.

Solemnly declared or alledged; declared against for non-acceptance or non-payment.

PRO-TEST'ER, n.

1. One who protests; one who utters a solemn declaration.
2. One who protests a bill of exchange.

PRO-TEST'ING, ppr.

Solemnly declaring or affirming; declaring against for non-acceptance or non-payment.

PRO-TEST'ING-LY, adv.

By way of protesting.

PRO'TE-US, n.¹ [L. from Gr. Πρωτευς.]

In mythology, a marine deity, the son of Oceanus and Tethys, whose distinguishing characteristic was the faculty of assuming different shapes. Hence we denominate one who easily changes his form or principles, a Proteus.

PRO'TE-US, n.²

1. A genus of Batrachian reptiles, allied to the siren and the salamanders.
2. A genus of homogeneous infusoria.

PRO-THON'O-TA-RI-SHIP, n.

The office of a prothonotary. – Carew. [An awkward, harsh word, and little used.]

PRO-THON'O-TA-RY, n. [Low L. protonotarius; Gr. πρωτος, first, and L. notarius, a scribe.]

1. Originally, the chief notary; and anciently, the title of the principal notaries of the emperors of Constantinople. Hence,
2. In England, an officer in the court of king's bench and common pleas. The prothonotary of the king's bench records all civil actions. In the common pleas, the prothonotaries, of which there are three, enter and enroll all declarations, pleadings, judgments, &c., make out judicial writs and exemplifications of records, enter recognizances, &c. – Encyc.
3. In the United States, a register or clerk of a court. The word, however, is not applied to any officer, except in particular states. Apostolical prothonotaries, in the court of Rome, are twelve persons constituting a college, who receive the last wills of cardinals, make informations and proceedings necessary for the canonization of saints, &c. – Encyc.

PRO'TO-COL, n. [Low L. protocollum; Gr. πρωτος, first, and κολλα, glue; so called perhaps from the gluing together of pieces of paper, or from the spreading of it on tablets. It was formerly the upper part of a leaf of a book on which the title or name was written.]

1. The original copy of any writing. [Not now used.] – Ayliffe.
2. A record or registry.

PRO'TO-COL-IST, n.

In Russia, a register or clerk. – Tooke.

PRO'TO-MAR-TYR, n. [Gr. πρωτος, first, and μαρτυρ, martyr.]

1. The first martyr; a term applied to Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
2. The first who suffers or is sacrificed in any cause. – Dryden.

PRO'TO-PHYTE, or PRO'TO-ZO-A, n. [Gr. πρωτος and φυτον, or ζωον.]

These names are given to certain substances of which a doubt exists whether they are vegetable or animal. Protophytes, first plants; protozoa, first animals. – Kirby.

PRO'TO-PLAST, n. [Gr. πρωτος, first, and πλαστος, formed.]

The original; the thing first formed, as a copy to be imitated. Thus Adam has been called our protoplast. – Bryant. Harvey.

PRO-TO-PLAS'TIC, a.

First formed. – Howell.

PRO'TO-POPE, n. [Gr. πρωτος, first, and pope.]

Chief pope or imperial confessor, an officer of the holy directing synod, the supreme spiritual court of the Greek church in Russia. – Tooke, Russ.

PRO-TO-SUL'PHATE, n.

In chimistry, a compound of sulphuric acid with a protoxyd.

PRO'TO-TYPE, n. [Fr. from Gr. πρωτοτυπος; πρωτος, first, and τυπος, type, form, model.]

An original or model after which any thing is formed; the pattern of any thing to be engraved, cast, &c.; exemplar; archetype. – Walton. Encyc.

PRO-TOX'YD, n. [Gr. πρωτος, first, and oxyd.]

A compound of one equivalent of oxygen, with one equivalent of a base, and destitute of acid properties.