prototype

[ proh-tuh-tahyp ]

noun

1. the original or model on which something is based or formed.

   Synonyms: pattern

2. someone or something that serves to illustrate the typical qualities of a class; model; exemplar:

   She is the prototype of a student activist.

3. something analogous to another thing of a later period:

   a Renaissance prototype of our modern public housing.

4. Biology. an archetype; a primitive form regarded as the basis of a group.

verb (used with object)

, pro·to·typed, pro·to·typ·ing.

1. to create the prototype or an experimental model of:

   to prototype a solar-power car.

prototype

/ ˌprəʊtəˈtɪpɪk; ˈprəʊtəˌtaɪp /

noun

1. one of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially
2. a person or thing that serves as an example of a type
3. biology the ancestral or primitive form of a species or other group; an archetype

Derived Forms

• ˌprotoˈtypal, adjective

Other Words From

• pro·to·typ·i·cal [proh-t, uh, -, tip, -i-k, uh, l]; pro·to·typ·ic pro·to·typ·al [proh-t, uh, -, tip, -, uh, l], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prototype¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from New Latin prōtotypon, from Greek prōtótypon, noun use of neuter of prōtótypos “original”; proto-, type

Example Sentences

Because she was not a ceramicist, she drew her designs and occasionally sculpted her prototypes from foam and designers clay.

From Los Angeles Times

“We are now setting up a four-car pilot to demonstrate real life working prototypes to convince funders that this is workable and scalable.”

From BBC

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has created a headphone prototype that allows listeners to create just such a "sound bubble."

From Science Daily

In August last year, a remotely-piloted prototype was badly damaged when it crashed during testing at Cotswold Airport, after a propeller blade fell off.

From BBC

The researchers are now building prototype lighting strips to test on surfboards and kayaks.

From BBC

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor