i Register
In some senses, proto is marked as informal, slang. Watch for register when choosing this word.
adj
Prototypical; preceding the proper beginning of something.
[…] he photographed his tenant, the proto male supermodel Matt Collins, for Italian Harper’s Bazaar.
noun
A prototype of a design.
[…] attending various fabric trade shows across the country and internationally; reviewing protos (prototypes) and strike-offs; approving final designs; and communicating with overseas mills.
A protogen.
name
A surname.