adjective

1. first in time; original; primitive; primary
2. first in rank or authority; chief the prime minister
3. first in importance or value; principal; main a prime advantage
4. first in quality; of the highest excellence prime beef
5. from which others are derived; fundamental; basic
6. Math.
   1. of or being a prime number
   2. having no factor in common except 1 9 and 16 are prime to each other

Etymology: ME < MFr < L primus, first < OL pri, before < IE base *per-, beyond > far, first

noun

1. 1. R.C.Ch. a part of the Divine Office orig. assigned to the first hour of daylight (in the Liturgy of the Hours, both Lauds and Prime have been replaced by Morning Prayer)
   2. the first hour of the daylight, conventionally taken to begin about 6 a.m.
   3. the earliest part of something; beginning
2. 1. springtime
   2. the springtime of life; youth
3. 1. the best, most vigorous, or most fully mature period or stage of a person or thing a soprano in her prime
   2. the best part of anything
   3. the best of several or many; pick; cream
4. a symbol () used
   1. to distinguish between different values of the same variable
   2. to distinguish a letter, number, or other character from another of the same kind, as A
   3. for certain units of measure, as feet or minutes of arc
5. Math. prime number
6. Music unison

Etymology: ME < OE prim < L prima (hora), first (hour): see primethe

transitive verb primed, priming prim′·ing

1. to make ready; prepare a team primed for a game
2. to prepare (a gun) for firing or (a charge) for exploding by providing with priming or a primer
3. 1. to get (a pump) into operation by pouring in water until the suction is established
   2. to get (a carburetor, etc.) into operation by adding extra fuel
4. to undercoat, size, etc. (a surface) in preparation as for painting
5. to provide (a person) beforehand with information, answers, etc.

intransitive verb

1. to prime a person or thing
2. to let a spray of water mix with the steam forced into the cylinder, as of a steam engine