From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprototypepro‧to‧type /ˈprəʊtətaɪp $ ˈproʊ-/ ●○○ noun [countable] 1 FIRSTthe first form that a new design of a car, machine etc has, or a model of it used to test the design before it is producedprototype of/for a working prototype of the new car2 someone or something that is one of the first and most typical examples of a group or situation
Examples from the Corpus
prototype• Within a year, the company expects to have a prototype for military use.• He also produced a prototype steam locomotive burning indigenous peat, which embodied features of the prototype Southern locomotive.• Pilots have begun testing a prototype of the new aircraft.• Its silent prototype - a 30-metre-long surface craft called Yamato-1 - is to be launched in the next month or two.• Baltimore is now cited as the prototype of successful civic entrepreneurship.• Atkinson showed Sculley the prototype, and the former sugar-water salesman was blown away.• No damage to the prototype aircraft was reported after its first test flight.• The prototype of this particular computer was developed by an American in 1975.• The two prototype pumps, installed in the eastern Paris suburbs of Colombes and Rueil-Malmaison, use liquid oxygen.working prototype• At the time of the Xerox visit, Apple had a working prototype of a machine that reeked of serious intent.• He has filed a patent on his idea, and hopes to have a working prototype by the end of the year.• A working prototype for the tables had many advantages.From Longman Business Dictionaryprototypepro‧to‧type /ˈprəʊtətaɪpˈproʊ-/ noun [countable] MANUFACTURING the first form that a newly designed car, machine etc hasprototype of/fora complete working prototype of the new modelOrigin prototype (1600-1700) French Greek prototypon “first form” 