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primary source

 [prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree]   Origin

pri·ma·ry

   [prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree] adjective, noun, plural -ries.
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.
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6.
of the nature of the ultimate or simpler constituents of which something complex is made up: Animals have a few primary instincts.
7.
a.
original; not derived or subordinate; fundamental; basic.
b.
(in scholarly studies) pertaining to or being a firsthand account, original data, etc., or based on direct knowledge, as in primary source; primary research.
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).
COLLAPSE
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.
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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 companion1 (def. 6).
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Primary source is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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Origin:
1425–75; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin prīmārius of the first rank. See prime, -ary

Related forms
pri·ma·ri·ness, noun
post·pri·ma·ry, adjective
sub·pri·ma·ry, adjective

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. 2012.
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Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Main Entry:  primary source
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  an original fundamental and authoritative document pertaining to an event or subject of inquiry; a firsthand or eyewitness account of an event
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2012 Dictionary.com, LLC
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

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.
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"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).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

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

  1. Being first or highest in importance; principal.

  2. Occurring first in time or sequence; earliest.

  3. Preliminary to a later stage of development; primordial; embryonic.

  4. Immediate; direct.

  5. Of, relating to, or being a sequence of amino acids in a protein.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
primary   (prī'měr'ē)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. Relating to a primary color.

  2. 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.

  5. 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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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