protocol
pro·to·col
noun \ˈprō-tə-ˌkȯl, -ˌkōl, -ˌkäl, -kəl\: a system of rules that explain the correct conduct and procedures to be followed in formal situations
: a plan for a scientific experiment or for medical treatment
: a document that describes the details of a treaty or formal agreement between countries
Full Definition of PROTOCOL
Examples of PROTOCOL
- The soldier's actions constitute a breach of military protocol.
- They did not follow the proper diplomatic protocols.
- What is the proper protocol for declining a job offer?
- the Geneva Protocol of 1925
- Typically, those who make pronouncements like this assume (without saying so) that the tongues making up the multitude will belong to persons who are committed to the protocols of rational inquiry; frivolous persons, persons who exploit those protocols or play with them to gain political ends, are not imagined. —Stanley Fish, Harper's, December 2005
- Purcell even flouted the timeless protocol of pretending to admire the work of his fellow editors. —Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
- Today, thanks to the civil-rights movement, white guilt is propriety—an utterly invisible code that defines decency in our culture with thousands of little protocols we no longer even think about. —Shelby Steele, Harper's, November 2002
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Origin of PROTOCOL
pro·to·col
noun \ˈprōt-ə-ˌkȯl, -ˌkōl, -ˌkäl\ (Medical Dictionary)Medical Definition of PROTOCOL
protocol
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)In computer science, a set of rules or procedures for transmitting data between electronic devices, such as computers. In order for computers to exchange information, there must be a preexisting agreement as to how the information will be structured and how each side will send and receive it. Without a protocol, a transmitting computer, for example, could be sending its data in 8-bit packets while the receiving computer might expect the data in 16-bit packets. Protocols are established by international or industrywide organizations. Perhaps the most important computer protocol is OSI (Open Systems Interconnection), a set of guidelines for implementing networking communications between computers. The most important sets of Internet protocols are TCP/IP, HTTP, and FTP.
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