Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

prime       (prīm)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   First in excellence, quality, or value. See Usage Note at perfect. First in degree or rank; chief. See Synonyms at chief. First or early in time, order, or sequence; original. Of the highest U.S. government grade of meat. Mathematics Of, relating to, or being a prime number. n.   The earliest hours of the day; dawn. The first season of the year; spring. The age of ideal physical perfection and intellectual vigor. The period or phase of ideal or peak condition. See Synonyms at bloom1. The first position of thrust and parry in fencing. A mark (') appended above and to the right of a character, especially: One used to distinguish different values of the same variable in a mathematical expression. One used to represent a unit of measurement, such as feet or minutes in latitude and longitude. The second of the seven canonical hours. No longer in liturgical use. The time appointed for this service, the first hour of the day or 6 A.M. also Prime Ecclesiastical The second of the seven canonical hours. No longer in liturgical use. The time appointed for this service, the first hour of the day or 6 A.M. Mathematics A prime number. A prime rate. See primitive. v.   primed, prim·ing, primes v.   tr. To make ready; prepare: guard dogs primed for attack. To prepare (a gun or mine) for firing by inserting a charge of gunpowder or a primer. To prepare for operation, as by pouring water into a pump or gasoline into a carburetor. To prepare (a surface) for painting by covering with size, primer, or an undercoat. To inform or instruct beforehand; coach. v.   intr. To become prepared for future action or operation. [Middle English, first in occurrence, from Old French, feminine of prin, from Latin prīmus; see per1 in Indo-European roots. N., sense 7, from Middle English, from Old English prīm, from Late Latin prīma (hōra), first (hour), from Latin, feminine of prīmus.] prime'ly adv., prime'ness n.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

prim·i·tive       (prĭm'ĭ-tĭv)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Not derived from something else; primary or basic. Of or relating to an earliest or original stage or state; primeval. Being little evolved from an early ancestral type. Serving as the basis for derived or inflected forms: Pick is the primitive word from which picket is derived. Being a protolanguage: primitive Germanic. Of or created by an artist without formal training; simple or naive in style. Of or relating to the work of an artist from a nonindustrial, often tribal culture, especially a culture that is characterized by a low level of economic complexity. Characterized by simplicity or crudity; unsophisticated: primitive weapons. See Synonyms at rude. Anthropology Of or relating to a nonindustrial, often tribal culture, especially one that is characterized by a low level of economic complexity: primitive societies. Linguistics Serving as the basis for derived or inflected forms: Pick is the primitive word from which picket is derived. Being a protolanguage: primitive Germanic. Of or created by an artist without formal training; simple or naive in style. Of or relating to the work of an artist from a nonindustrial, often tribal culture, especially a culture that is characterized by a low level of economic complexity. Relating or belonging to forces of nature; elemental: primitive passions. Of or created by an artist without formal training; simple or naive in style. Of or relating to the work of an artist from a nonindustrial, often tribal culture, especially a culture that is characterized by a low level of economic complexity. Of or relating to late medieval or pre-Renaissance European painters or sculptors. Biology Occurring in or characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution. n.   Anthropology A person belonging to a nonindustrial, often tribal society, especially a society characterized by a low level of economic complexity. An unsophisticated person. One that is at a low or early stage of development. One belonging to an early stage in the development of an artistic trend, especially a painter of the pre-Renaissance period. An artist having or affecting a simple, direct, unschooled style, as of painting. A self-taught artist. A work of art created by a primitive artist. A word or word element from which another word is derived by morphological or historical processes or from which inflected forms are derived. A basic and indivisible unit of linguistic analysis. Also called prime. Linguistics A word or word element from which another word is derived by morphological or historical processes or from which inflected forms are derived. A basic and indivisible unit of linguistic analysis. Also called prime. Mathematics An algebraic or geometric expression from which another expression is derived. Computer Science A basic or fundamental unit of machine instruction or translation. [Middle English, from Old French primitif, primitive, from Latin prīmitīvus, from prīmitus, at first, from prīmus, first; see per1 in Indo-European roots.] prim'i·tive·ly adv., prim'i·tive·ness, prim'i·tiv'i·ty n.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prime  (adj.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prime  (n.)

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
prime  (v.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

prime
adjective
1.	first in rank or degree; "an architect of premier rank"; "the prime minister" [syn: premier]
2.	used of the first or originating agent; "prime mover"
3.	of superior grade; "choice wines"; "prime beef"; "prize carnations"; "quality paper"; "select peaches" [syn: choice]
4.	of or relating to or being an integer that cannot be factored into other integers; "prime number"
5.	being at the best stage of development; "our manhood's prime vigor"- Robert Browning
noun
1.	a number that has no factor but itself and 1
2.	the period of greatest prosperity or productivity [syn: flower]
3.	the second canonical hour; about 6 a.m.
4.	the time of maturity when power and vigor are greatest
verb
1.	insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing; "prime a cannon"; "prime a mine"
2.	cover with a primer; apply a primer to
3.	fill with priming liquid; "prime a car engine"

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

prime

In addition to the idioms beginning with prime, also see past one's prime.

Wallstreet Words - Cite This Source - Share This

prime

1. Of or relating to a debt security rated AAA or Aaa.
2. See prime rate.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: prime
Function: noun
1 : PRIME RATE
2 : GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: prime
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: primed; prim·ing
: to have priority over primes an unperfected one>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Prime

Prime\, a. (Math.) (a) Divisible by no number except itself or unity; as, 7 is a prime number. (b) Having no common factor; -- used with to; as, 12 is prime to 25.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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 forests." --Tennyson.

She was not the prime cause, but I myself. --Milton.

Note: In this sense the word is nearly superseded by primitive, except in the phrase prime cost.

2. First in rank, degree, dignity, authority, or importance; as, prime minister. "Prime virtues." --Dryden.

3. First in excellence; of highest quality; as, prime wheat; a prime quality of cloth.

4. Early; blooming; being in the first stage. [Poetic]

His starry helm, unbuckled, showed him prime In manhood where youth ended. --Milton.

5. Lecherous; lustful; lewd. [Obs.] --Shak.

6. Marked or distinguished by a mark (') called a prime mark.

Prime and ultimate ratio. (Math.). See Ultimate.

Prime conductor. (Elec.) See under Conductor.

Prime factor (Arith.), a factor which is a prime number.

Prime figure (Geom.), a figure which can not be divided into any other figure more simple than itself, as a triangle, a pyramid, etc.

Prime meridian (Astron.), the meridian from which longitude is reckoned, as the meridian of Greenwich or Washington.

Prime minister, the responsible head of a ministry or executive government; applied particularly to that of England.

Prime mover. (Mech.) (a) A natural agency applied by man to the production of power. Especially: Muscular force; the weight and motion of fluids, as water and air; heat obtained by chemical combination, and applied to produce changes in the volume and pressure of steam, air, or other fluids; and electricity, obtained by chemical action, and applied to produce alternation of magnetic force. (b) An engine, or machine, the object of which is to receive and modify force and motion as supplied by some natural source, and apply them to drive other machines; as a water wheel, a water-pressure engine, a steam engine, a hot-air engine, etc. (c) Fig.: The original or the most effective force in any undertaking or work; as, Clarkson was the prime mover in English antislavery agitation.

Prime number (Arith.), a number which is exactly divisible by no number except itself or unity, as 5, 7, 11.

Prime vertical (Astron.), the vertical circle which passes through the east and west points of the horizon.

Prime-vertical dial, a dial in which the shadow is projected on the plane of the prime vertical.

Prime-vertical transit instrument, a transit instrument the telescope of which revolves in the plane of the prime vertical, -- used for observing the transit of stars over this circle.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

In the very prime of the world. --Hooker.

Hope waits upon the flowery prime. --Waller.

2. The spring of life; youth; hence, full health, strength, or beauty; perfection. "Cut off in their prime." --Eustace. "The prime of youth." --Dryden.

3. That which is first in quantity; the most excellent portion; the best part.

Give him always of the prime. --Swift.

4. [F. prime, LL. prima (sc. hora). See Prime, a.] The morning; specifically (R. C. Ch.), the first canonical hour, succeeding to lauds.

Early and late it rung, at evening and at prime. --Spenser.

Note: Originally, prime denoted the first quarter of the artificial day, reckoned from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. Afterwards, it denoted the end of the first quarter, that is, 9 a. m. Specifically, it denoted the first canonical hour, as now. Chaucer uses it in all these senses, and also in the sense of def. 1, above.

They sleep till that it was pryme large. --Chaucer.

5. (Fencing) The first of the chief guards.

6. (Chem.) Any number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; -- so called because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1. [Obs. or Archaic]

7. (Arith.) A prime number. See under Prime, a.

8. An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system; -- denoted by [']. See 2d Inch, n., 1.

Prime of the moon, the new moon at its first appearance.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Prime

Prime\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Primed; p. pr. & vb. n. Priming.] [From Prime, a.]

1. To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon; to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge.

2. To lay the first color, coating, or preparation upon (a surface), as in painting; as, to prime a canvas, a wall.

3. To prepare; to make ready; to instruct beforehand; to post; to coach; as, to prime a witness; the boys are primed for mischief. [Colloq.] --Thackeray.

4. To trim or prune, as trees. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

5. (Math.) To mark with a prime mark.

To prime a pump, to charge a pump with water, in order to put it in working condition.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Prime

Prime\, v. i. 1. To be renewed, or as at first. [Obs.]

Night's bashful empress, though she often wane, As oft repeats her darkness, primes again. --Quarles.

2. To serve as priming for the charge of a gun.

3. To work so that foaming occurs from too violent ebullition, which causes water to become mixed with, and be carried along with, the steam that is formed; -- said of a steam boiler.