Definition of "protocol" []

• The forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state. (noun)
• A code of correct conduct: safety protocols; academic protocol. (noun)
• The first copy of a treaty or other such document before its ratification. (noun)
• A preliminary draft or record of a transaction. (noun)
• The plan for a course of medical treatment or for a scientific experiment. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The more generic url path would match the later element. url [@protocol] matches URL elements that have a protocol attribute, no matter what its value is."
• "The word protocol refers to a strict code of behavior within a rigidly hierarchical group such as the military or the diplomatic corps."
• "“The word protocol means ‘manners,’” Miss Crum said."