prothonotary

Prothonotary \Pro*thon"o*ta*ry\
   (pr[-o]*th[o^]n"[-o]*t[als]*r[y^]), or Protonotary
\Pro*ton"o*ta*ry\ (pr[-o]*t[o^]n"[-o]*t[als]*r[y^]), n.; pl.
   {-ries} (pr[-o]*th[o^]n"[-o]*t[als]*r[i^]z). [LL.
   protonotarius, fr. Gr. prw^tos first + L. notarius a
   shorthand writer, a scribe: cf. F. protonotaire.]
   1. A chief notary or clerk. " My private prothonotary."
      --Herrick.
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   2. Formerly, a chief clerk in the Court of King's Bench and
      in the Court of Common Pleas, now superseded by the
      master. [Eng.] --Wharton. Burrill.
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   3. A register or chief clerk of a court in certain States of
      the United States.
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   4. (R. C. Ch.) Formerly, one who had the charge of writing
      the acts of the martyrs, and the circumstances of their
      death; now, one of twelve persons, constituting a college
      in the Roman Curia, whose office is to register pontifical
      acts and to make and preserve the official record of
      beatifications.
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   5. (Gr. Ch.) The chief secretary of the patriarch of
      Constantinople.
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   {Prothonotary warbler} (Zool.), a small American warbler
      ({Protonotaria citrea}). The general color is golden
      yellow, the back is olivaceous, the rump and tail are
      ash-color, several outer tail feathers are partly white.
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