adjective
- first in time; original; primitive; primary
- first in rank or authority; chief: the prime minister
- first in importance or value; principal; main: a prime advantage
- first in quality; of the highest excellence: prime beef
- from which others are derived; fundamental; basic
- Math.
- of or being a prime number
- having no factor in common except 1: 9 and 16 are prime to each other
Origin:
ME < MFr < L primus, first < OL pri, before < IE base *per-, beyond > far, first
noun
- 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 assigned to the first hour of daylight (in the Liturgy of the Hours, both Lauds and Prime have been replaced by Morning Prayer)
- the first hour of the daylight, conventionally taken to begin about 6 a.m.
- the earliest part of something; beginning
- springtime
- the springtime of life; youth
- the best, most vigorous, or most fully mature period or stage of a person or thing: a soprano in her prime
- the best part of anything
- the best of several or many; pick; cream
- a symbol () used
- to distinguish between different values of the same variable
- to distinguish a letter, number, or other character from another of the same kind, as A
- for certain units of measure, as feet or minutes of arc
- Math. prime number
- Music unison
Origin:
ME < OE prim < L prima (hora), first (hour): see primethe
transitive verb primed, priming
- to make ready; prepare: a team primed for a game
- to prepare (a gun) for firing or (a charge) for exploding by providing with priming or a primer
- to get (a pump) into operation by pouring in water until the suction is established
- to get (a carburetor, etc.) into operation by adding extra fuel
- to undercoat, size, etc. (a surface) in preparation as for painting
- to provide (a person) beforehand with information, answers, etc.