Etymograph

English

protoreceptor

From proto- + receptor.

A compound of proto- + receptor

Proto-Indo-European *pér ‘through’

Proto-Indo-European *pró ‘forwards, before’

Proto-Hellenic *pró

Ancient Greek πρό ‘before’

Ancient Greek πρῶτος ‘first’

English proto-

Middle English receptour ‘a shelterer of criminals’

English receptor

Today it means

noun A nerve ending or similar group of specialist cells that are sensitive to light.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “protoreceptor”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / protoreceptor

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