What is "proto"

a. prototype; preceding the proper beginning of something

adj. indicating the first or earliest or original; "`proto' is a combining form in a word like `protolanguage' that refers to the hypothetical ancestor of another language or group of languages" [syn: proto(a)]

Proto may refer to:

Proto is the second album by Irish musician Leo O'Kelly. It was originally planned for November 2002 but was released on February 4, 2003 by Clarinda & 1st. It contains a collection of previously unreleased tracks recorded from May 1975 to 2001.

Stanley Proto—more commonly known simply as Proto and historically known as Plomb—is an American industrial hand tool company. It is a division of Stanley Black & Decker. The company is credited with creating the first combination wrench.

Proto is a national science magazine and website produced by Massachusetts General Hospital in collaboration with Time Inc. The magazine was launched in 2005 and covers news in the field of biomedicine and health care, focusing on basic and clinical research, policy and technology. Recently featured topics include synesthesia, chronic pain policy and aging physicians. The magazine also includes interviews with major figures in the medical world and personal essays about patients’ experiences with health care. Articles from the magazine have been reprinted and cited in a number of well-known venues, including The Washington Post. Proto targets physicians, researchers, policymakers, health care leaders and others with an interest in science and health care.

Proto is a six-member progressive rock band, originally from Memphis, which moved to Chattanooga ( Tennessee) in January 2003, after recording their first EP release with new label Torrent Records LLC. Shaun West and J. Mark Crider began Proto with Erik Berkes in 2002.

In the fall of 2003, the band began preparing for their first release to prelude the full-length album. Proto asked violinist Krista Wroten (schooled in classical music training at Boston University) if she was interested in playing on the CD to fill out some of the songs. What began only as an addition to the record became an addition to the band. It was obvious that Krista belonged after hearing her play.

They quickly recruited lead guitarist Benjamin Mansfield and wrote their first song, "The Backwards Waltz". The song embodied a mutual frustration within the band towards ignorance and the destruction of the human mind. It was from this collaboration that the band realized their potential and agreed to pursue a serious career in music. The music immediately took precedence over everything else in their lives.

Proto continued to write new material for their first full-length album, which was due out in 2004. After recording, the band left Memphis for Chattanooga.

Other projects of members of Proto are All Things Green and North American Royalty. The latter is formed by ultra-melodic, female vocal-fueled Elise Berkes on lead vocals and guitar; Krista Wroten of Proto on violin and vocals; Jack Kirton of Proto on guitar, mandolin and steel guitar; and Dennis Hubbard and Joey Berkley from All Things Green on bass and percussion.

Their first song, "Monkey", off the self-titled album, was used in introduction of the movie Devour (2005), starring Jensen Ackles, and in the third season of Roswell.

PROTO is a proposed nuclear fusion reactor to be implemented not before 2050, a successor to the ITER and DEMO projects. It is part of the European Commission long-term strategy for research of fusion energy. PROTO would act as a prototype power station, taking in any technology refinements from earlier projects, and demonstrating electricity generation on a commercial basis. It may or may not be a second part of DEMO/PROTO experiment.