[proh-toh-kon-tn-uh
nt] 
| an actual or hypothetical landmass that might later be enlarged into a major continent or broken up into smaller ones. |
| pro·to·con·ti·nent (prō'tō-kŏn'tə-nənt) n.
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| su·per·con·ti·nent (sōō'pər-kŏn'tə-nənt) n. A large hypothetical continent, especially Pangaea, that is thought to have split into smaller ones in the geologic past. Also called protocontinent. |
| protocontinent (prō'tō-kŏn'tə-nənt) Pronunciation Key
A landmass that existed at some point in the past. Protocontinents that are thought to have comprised some or all of the present-day continents in a single landmass are also known as supercontinents. |