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Definition of primary - 11 dictionary results

pri⋅ma⋅ry

[prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree]

adjective, noun, plural -ries.

Use primary in a Sentence

–adjective

1.	first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal: his primary goals in life.

2.	first in order in any series, sequence, etc.

3.	first in time; earliest; primitive.

4.	of, pertaining to, or characteristic of primary school: the primary grades.

5.	constituting or belonging to the first stage in any process.

6.	of the nature of the ultimate or simpler constituents of which something complex is made up: Animals have a few primary instincts.

7.	original; not derived or subordinate; fundamental; basic.

8.	immediate or direct, or not involving intermediate agency: primary perceptions.

9.	Sociology. (of social values or ideals) conceived as derived from the primary group and culturally defined as being necessary to the welfare of the individual and society.

10.	Ornithology. pertaining to any of the set of flight feathers situated on the distal segment of a bird's wing.

11.	Electricity. noting or pertaining to the circuit, coil, winding, or current that induces current in secondary windings in an induction coil, transformer, or the like.

12.

Chemistry.

a.	involving or obtained by replacement of one atom or group.

b.	noting or containing a carbon atom united to no other or to only one other carbon atom in a molecule.

13.

Grammar.

a.	(of a derivative) having a root or other unanalyzable element as the underlying form.

b.	(of Latin, Greek, Sanskrit tenses) having reference to present or future time. Compare secondary (def. 9).

–noun

14.	something that is first in order, rank, or importance.

15.

U.S. Politics.

a.	Also called primary election. a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc. Compare closed primary, direct primary, indirect primary, open primary.

b.	a meeting of the voters of a political party in an election district for nominating candidates for office, choosing delegates for a convention, etc.; caucus.

16.	primary color.

17.	Ornithology. a primary feather.

18.	Electricity. a winding in a transformer or the like that carries a current and that induces a current in secondary windings.

19.

Astronomy.

a.	a body in relation to a smaller body or smaller bodies revolving around it, as a planet in relation to its satellites.

b.	the brighter of the two stars comprising a double star. Compare companion ¹ (def. 6).

Origin:
1425–75; late ME (adj.) < L prīmārius of the first rank. See prime, -ary

Related forms:

pri⋅ma⋅ri⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. main, prime. 3. original; primeval. 5. beginning, opening. See elementary.

Antonyms:
1, 2. last. 2. final.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To primary

pri·mar·y (prī'měr'ē, -mə-rē)

adj.

First or highest in rank, quality, or importance; principal.
Being or standing first in a list, series, or sequence.
Occurring first in time or sequence; earliest.
Being or existing as the first or earliest of a kind; primitive.
Geology Characteristic of or existing in a rock at the time of its formation.
Serving as or being an essential component, as of a system; basic. See Synonyms at chief.
1. Immediate; direct: a primary effect; a primary information source.
2. Preliminary to a later stage in a continuing process: primary training.
3. Of or relating to a primary school: the primary grades.
4. Having a word root or other linguistic element as a basis that cannot be further analyzed or broken down. Used of the derivation of a word or word element.
5. Referring to present or future time. Used as a collective designation for various present and future verb tenses in Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit.
6. Relating to the replacement of one of several atoms or radicals in a compound by another atom or radical.
7. Having a carbon atom attached solely to one other carbon atom in a molecule.
Of or relating to a primary color or colors.
Linguistics
1. Having a word root or other linguistic element as a basis that cannot be further analyzed or broken down. Used of the derivation of a word or word element.
2. Referring to present or future time. Used as a collective designation for various present and future verb tenses in Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit.
3. Relating to the replacement of one of several atoms or radicals in a compound by another atom or radical.
4. Having a carbon atom attached solely to one other carbon atom in a molecule.
Electronics Of, relating to, or constituting an inducting current, circuit, or coil.
Of, relating to, or designating the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing.
Of or relating to agriculture, forestry, the industries that extract natural materials from the earth, or the products so obtained: a primary commodity.
Chemistry
1. Relating to the replacement of one of several atoms or radicals in a compound by another atom or radical.
2. Having a carbon atom attached solely to one other carbon atom in a molecule.
Botany Of, relating to, or derived from a primary meristem.

n. pl. pri·mar·ies

1. One that is first in time, order, or sequence.
2. One that is first or best in degree, quality, or importance.
3. One that is fundamental, basic, or elemental.
4. A meeting of the registered voters of a political party for the purpose of nominating candidates and for choosing delegates to their party convention.
5. A preliminary election in which the registered voters of a political party nominate candidates for office.
6. A celestial body, especially a star, relative to other bodies in orbit around it.
7. The brighter of two stars that make up a double star.
1. A meeting of the registered voters of a political party for the purpose of nominating candidates and for choosing delegates to their party convention.
2. A preliminary election in which the registered voters of a political party nominate candidates for office.
3. A celestial body, especially a star, relative to other bodies in orbit around it.
4. The brighter of two stars that make up a double star.
A primary color.
A primary flight feather.
Electronics An inducting current, circuit, or coil.
Astronomy
1. A celestial body, especially a star, relative to other bodies in orbit around it.
2. The brighter of two stars that make up a double star.

[Middle English, from Latin prīmārius, chief, from prīmus, first; see per¹ in Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Primary

Pri"ma*ry\, a. [L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]

1. First in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original.

The church of Christ, in its primary institution. --Bp. Pearson.

These I call original, or primary, qualities of body. --Locke.

2. First in order, as being preparatory to something higher; as, primary assemblies; primary schools.

3. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary importance.

4. (Geol.) Earliest formed; fundamental.

5. (Chem.) Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.

Primary alcohol (Organic Chem.), any alcohol which possess the group CH2.OH, and can be oxidized so as to form a corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number of carbon atoms; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary alcohols.

Primary amine (Chem.), an amine containing the amido group, or a derivative of ammonia in which only one atom of hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary amines.

Primary amputation (Surg.), an amputation for injury performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has passed away, and before symptoms of inflammation supervene.

Primary axis (Bot.), the main stalk which bears a whole cluster of flowers.

Primary colors. See under Color.

Primary meeting, a meeting of citizens at which the first steps are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc. See Caucus.

Primary pinna (Bot.), one of those portions of a compound leaf or frond which branch off directly from the main rhachis or stem, whether simple or compounded.

Primary planets. (Astron.) See the Note under Planet.

Primary qualities of bodies, such are essential to and inseparable from them.

Primary quills (Zo["o]l.), the largest feathers of the wing of a bird; primaries.

Primary rocks (Geol.), a term early used for rocks supposed to have been first formed, being crystalline and containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.; -- called also primitive rocks. The terms Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have also been used in like manner, but of these the last two only are now in use.

Primary salt (Chem.), a salt derived from a polybasic acid in which only one acid hydrogen atom has been replaced by a base or basic radical.

Primary syphilis (Med.), the initial stage of syphilis, including the period from the development of the original lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms indicative of general constitutional infection.

Primary union (Surg.), union without suppuration; union by the first intention.

Primary

Pri"ma*ry\, n.; pl. Primaries. 1. That which stands first in order, rank, or importance; a chief matter.

2. A primary meeting; a caucus.

3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the large feathers on the distal joint of a bird's wing. See Plumage, and Illust. of Bird.

4. (Astron.) A primary planet; the brighter component of a double star. See under Planet.

Language Translation for : primary

Spanish: principal,

German: wichtigst,

Japanese: 第一の

More Translations »

primary

1471, "of the first order," from L. primarius "of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)). Primary color is first recorded 1612; primary school is 1802, from Fr. école primaire.

"The Paris journals ... are full of a plan, brought forward by Fourcroy, for the establishment of primary schools, which is not interesting to an English reader." [London "Times," April 27, 1802]

Primary election is recorded from 1792, with ref. to France; in a U.S. context, recorded from 1835; earlier primary caucus (1821).

Main Entry: pri·ma·ry
Pronunciation: 'prI-"mer-E, -m&-rE
Function: adjective
1 : of first rank, value, or importance
2 : belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications —pri·mar·i·ly /prI-'mer-&-lE/ adverb

Main Entry: primary
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
1 : CAUCUS
2 : an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention

Main Entry: ¹pri·ma·ry
Pronunciation: 'prI-"mer-E, 'prIm-(&-)rE
Function: adjective
1 a (1) : first in order of time ordevelopment (2) : relating to or being the deciduous teeth and especially the 20 deciduous teeth in the human set b (1) : arising spontaneously : IDIOPATHIC <primary purpura> (2) : being an initial tumor or site especially of cancer primary tumor have failed —Raphael Feinmesser> c : providing primary care primary physician>
2 : not derivable from othercolors, odors, or tastes
3 : belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications <primary nerves>
4 : of, relating to, or being the amino acid sequence in proteins <primary protein structure> —compare

SECONDARY

3, TERTIARY 2c
5 : resulting from the substitution of one of two or moreatoms or groups in a molecule; especially : being or characterized by a carbon atom having a bond to only one other carbon atom

Main Entry: ²primary
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ries
:

PRIMARY COLOR

primary pri·mar·y (prī'měr'ē, -mə-rē)
adj.

Being first or highest in importance; principal.
Occurring first in time or sequence; earliest.
Preliminary to a later stage of development; primordial; embryonic.
Immediate; direct.
Of, relating to, or being a sequence of amino acids in a protein.

primary (prī'měr'ē) Pronunciation Key

Relating to a primary color.
Relating to plant tissues or growth derived from the apical meristem in the tips of roots and shoots, whose cells divide and elongate to cause the plant to grow lengthwise.
1. Relating to or having a carbon atom that is attached to only one other carbon atom in a molecule.
2. Relating to an organic molecule, such as an alcohol, in which the functional group is attached to a primary carbon. A primary alcohol, for example, has the hydroxyl (OH) group attached to the last carbon in a chain.
3. Arising first and spontaneously, as a disease, disorder, or tumor, and not as a result of a known medical condition or injury.
4. Relating to the first set of teeth that develops in humans.
1. Arising first and spontaneously, as a disease, disorder, or tumor, and not as a result of a known medical condition or injury.
2. Relating to the first set of teeth that develops in humans.
Relating to the initial medical care given by a healthcare provider to a patient, especially in a setting of ambulatory, continuous care, and sometimes followed by referral to other medical providers. Compare secondary , tertiary.

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