protatic, protatIck

[Gr. protatikos, Lat. protatic us; Fr. prot at i que.] Of or pertaining to protasis; introductory. "There are protatick persons in the ancients, whom they use in their plays to hear or give the relation." Dryden. prō-tě-a, s. [Mod. Latin, from Proteus (q. v.), from the diverse appearance of the species.] Bot.: The typical genus of the Proteaceae (q. v.). Small trees or shrubs, chiefly from South Africa, with large heads of flowers, often surrounded by bracts. An elongated two-parted calyx, the broader lip with three nearly se ile stamens, the narrower lip with one; fruit a hairy one-seeded nut. The species are many, and with beautiful foliage and flowers. The wood of Protea grandiflora is made into wagon wheels; its bark is given in diarrhea. The honey from the flowers of P. mellifera and P. speciosa is boiled down and taken for coughs. prô-tě-ā-çě-æ, s. pl. [Mod. Lat. prote ( a ); Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -aceœ.] 1. Bot .: Proteads; an order of Perigynous Exogens, alliance Daphnales. Shrubs or small trees, with hard dry leaves, calyx in four divisions, corolla none, stamens four, some of them sterile; ovary superior, with one ascending ovule, or two, or two rows. From the Cape of Good Hope and Australia. Sub-orders Nucamentacese and Folliculares. Known genera forty-four, species 650. 2. Palæobot .: Various Proteads, some apparently of the existing genera, Dryandra, Banksia, Grevil lea, ., exist in the Cretaceous rocks of Aix-laChapelle, others in the Upper Mola e of Switzerland. 3271 pro-těct-Ing, pr. par. or a. [PROTECT.] pro-tect-ing-ly, adv. [Eng. protecting: -ly.] In a protecting manner; by protecting.