prime

prime: prime¹

adjective

1》 of first importance; main; primary.

2》 of the best possible quality; excellent.

    ↘having all the expected characteristics.

    ↘most suitable or likely.

3》 (of a number) divisible only by itself and one (e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11).

noun

1》 a state or time of greatest vigour or success in a person's life.

    ↘archaic the beginning or earliest period.

2》 a prime number.

3》 Printing a symbol (ʻ) written as a distinguishing mark or to denote minutes or feet.

4》 Fencing the first of the eight parrying positions. [Fr.]

5》 a special section in a cycle race.

6》 Christian Church a service traditionally said at the first hour of the day (i.e. 6 a.m.), but now little used.

Derivatives

primeness noun

Origin

OE prīm (n.), from L. prima (hora) 'first (hour)', reinforced in ME by OFr. prime, from L. primus 'first'.

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prime²

verb

1》 make (something, especially a firearm or bomb) ready for use or action.

2》 pour or spray liquid into (a pump) to facilitate its working.

    ↘inject extra fuel into (an engine) to facilitate starting.

    ↘(of a boiler) produce steam mixed with water.

3》 prepare (someone) for a situation, especially by giving instructions or information.

4》 Biology & Medicine induce a susceptibility in.

5》 cover (a surface) with primer.

Phrases

prime the pump stimulate growth or success by supplying money.

Origin

C16 (in the sense 'fill, load'): prob. based on L. primus 'first'.

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Synonyms:

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prime — 1. (pri m ) adj. Mot ancien qui signifiait premier, et qui n est plus usité seul ; on s en sert encore dans les locutions suivantes. 1° De prime abord, en premier lieu. • De prime abord sont par la bonne dame Expédiés tous les péchés menus … Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré
Prime — can refer to: * Prime number, an integer greater than 1 which is only divisible by 1 and itself * Prime (symbol), the ′ mark ** 3′ end and 5′ end ( three prime end , five prime end ) in biochemistry * Prime (liturgy), a liturgical office (service … Wikipedia
Prime — Prime, a. [F., fr. L. primus first, a superl. corresponding to the compar. prior former. See {Prior}, a., {Foremost}, {Former}, and cf. {Prim}, a., {Primary}, {Prince}.] 1. First in order of time; original; primeval; primitive; primary. Prime… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Prime — • Article on the office of Prime, now suppressed Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Prime Prime † … Catholic encyclopedia
Prime — Prime, n. 1. The first part; the earliest stage; the beginning or opening, as of the day, the year, etc.; hence, the dawn; the spring. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] In the very prime of the world. Hooker. [1913 Webster] Hope waits upon the flowery… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
prime-1 — [ˌpraɪm ˈwʌn] noun [singular] FINANCE a rating given by some credit showing that the risk of non payment of a loan etc is very low. Prime 1 is the best rating, followed by prime 2 and prime 3: • Moody s assigned their top ratings prime 1 and A 1… … Financial and business terms
prime — [prīm] adj. [ME < MFr < L primus, first < OL pri, before < IE base * per , beyond > FAR, FIRST] 1. first in time; original; primitive; primary 2. first in rank or authority; chief [the prime minister] 3. first in importance or… … English World dictionary
PRIME — (Privacy and Identity Management for Europe / Datenschutz und Identitätsmanagement für Europa) ist der Name eines Projektes innerhalb des 6. EU Rahmenprogramms. Der Start des PRIME Projektes fand in Brunnen, Schweiz, vom 8. bis 12. März 2004… … Deutsch Wikipedia
prime — PRIME. s. f. La premiere des heures Canoniales. Chanter Prime. assister à Prime. Il se dit aussi d une sorte de Jeu aux cartes. Il y a deux sortes de prime. la grand prime. la petite prime. cartes de prime. joüer à la prime. il a perdu son argent … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
prime — 1 n 1: prime rate 2: general contractor prime 2 vt primed, prim·ing: to have priority over a perfected security … Law dictionary
Prime-2 — Prime 1/Prime 2/Prime 3 ► FINANCE a rating (= measurement of how good something is) given to a loan to show how much of a risk there is that the loan will not be paid back. A Prime 1 rating means that the risk is very low. A Prime 2 or Prime 3… … Financial and business terms

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