prime

[prahym] /praɪm/
adjective
1.
of the first importance; demanding the fullest consideration:
a prime requisite.
2.
of the greatest relevance or significance:
a prime example.
3.
of the highest eminence or rank:
the prime authority on Chaucer.
4.
of the greatest commercial value:
prime building lots.
5.
first-rate:
This ale is prime!
6.
(of meat, especially of beef) noting or pertaining to the first grade or best quality:
prime ribs of beef.
7.
first in order of time, existence, or development; earliest; primitive.
8.
basic; fundamental:
the prime axioms of his philosophy.
9.
Mathematics. (of any two or more numbers) having no common divisor except unity:
The number 2 is prime to 9.
noun
10.
the most flourishing stage or state.
11.
the time of early manhood or womanhood:
the prime of youth.
12.
the period or state of greatest perfection or vigor of human life:
a man in his prime.
13.
the choicest or best part of anything.
14.
(especially in the grading of U.S. beef) a grade, classification, or designation indicating the highest or most desirable quality.
15.
the beginning or earliest stage of any period.
16.
the spring of the year.
17.
the first hour or period of the day, after sunrise.
18.
Banking. prime rate.
19.
Ecclesiastical. the second of the seven canonical hours or the service for it, originally fixed for the first hour of the day.
20.
Mathematics.
  1. prime number.
  2. one of the equal parts into which a unit is primarily divided.
  3. the mark (′) indicating such a division:
    a, a′.
21.
Fencing. the first of eight defensive positions.
22.
Music.
  1. unison (def 2).
  2. (in a scale) the tonic or keynote.
23.
Linguistics. any basic, indivisible unit used in linguistic analysis.
24.
Metallurgy. a piece of tin plate free from visible defects.
verb (used with object), primed, priming.
25.
to prepare or make ready for a particular purpose or operation.
26.
to supply (a firearm) with powder for communicating fire to a charge.
27.
to lay a train of powder to (a charge, mine, etc.).
28.
to pour or admit liquid into (a pump) to expel air and prepare for action.
29.
to put fuel into (a carburetor) before starting an engine, in order to insure a sufficiently rich mixture at the start.
30.
to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat or color, as in painting.
31.
to supply or equip with information, words, etc., for use:
The politician was primed by his aides for the press conference.
32.
to harvest the bottom leaves from (a tobacco plant).
verb (used without object), primed, priming.
33.
(of a boiler) to deliver or discharge steam containing an excessive amount of water.
34.
to harvest the bottom leaves from a tobacco plant.
Origin
before 1000; 1910-15 for def 5; (adj.) Middle English (< Old French prim) < Latin prīmus first (superlative corresponding to prior prior1); (noun) in part derivative of the adj.; in part continuing Middle English prim(e) first canonical hour, Old English prim < Latin prīma (hōra) first (hour); (v.) apparently derivative of the adj.
Related forms
primeness, noun
nonprime, adjective
reprime, verb (used with object), reprimed, repriming.
self-primed, adjective
unprimed, adjective
well-primed, adjective
Synonyms
1. primary. 7. Prime, primeval, primitive have reference to that which is first. Prime means first in numerical order or order of development: prime meridian; prime cause. Primeval means belonging to the first or earliest ages: the primeval forest. Primitive suggests the characteristics of the origins or early stages of a development, and hence implies the simplicity of original things: primitive tribes, conditions, ornaments, customs, tools.
Examples from the web for prime
  • Summer is the prime time to make this drive, though spring and fall can also be pleasant.
  • And the thyme it is wither'd, and rue is in prime.
  • The answer to that question is prime pop culture trivia.
  • Casting about for prime numbers might seem like an odd avocation, but there's a financial incentive for skilled mathematicians.
  • This ecoregion is also a prime spot for migrating birds.
  • There was also the health-care crisis of the 1990s, which became a prime motivator for embracing non-Western medical traditions.
  • Supermassive black holes have long been a prime suspect.
  • Now the world is past the prime.
  • About 80 percent of the islands' land area is covered with rain forest, making it prime habitat for tropical plants and animals.
  • The illustrations include just enough detail to prime side observations from pre-readers and still keep the focus on the verse.
British Dictionary definitions for prime

prime

/praɪm/
adjective
1.
(prenominal) first in quality or value; first-rate
2.
(prenominal) fundamental; original
3.
(prenominal) first in importance, authority, etc; chief
4.
(maths)
  1. having no factors except itself or one: x² + x + 3 is a prime polynomial
  2. (foll by to) having no common factors (with): 20 is prime to 21
5.
(finance) having the best credit rating: prime investments
noun
6.
the time when a thing is at its best
7.
a period of power, vigour, etc, usually following youth (esp in the phrase the prime of life)
8.
the beginning of something, such as the spring
9.
(maths) short for prime number
10.
(linguistics) a semantically indivisible element; minimal component of the sense of a word
11.
(music)
  1. unison
  2. the tonic of a scale
12.
(mainly RC Church) the second of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, originally fixed for the first hour of the day, at sunrise
13.
the first of eight basic positions from which a parry or attack can be made in fencing
verb
14.
to prepare (something); make ready
15.
(transitive) to apply a primer, such as paint or size, to (a surface)
16.
(transitive) to fill (a pump) with its working fluid before starting, in order to improve the sealing of the pump elements and to expel air from it before starting
17.
(transitive) to increase the quantity of fuel in the float chamber of (a carburettor) in order to facilitate the starting of an engine
18.
(transitive) to insert a primer into (a gun, mine, charge, etc) preparatory to detonation or firing
19.
(intransitive) (of a steam engine or boiler) to operate with or produce steam mixed with large amounts of water
20.
(transitive) to provide with facts, information, etc, beforehand; brief
Derived Forms
primely, adverb
primeness, noun
Word Origin
(adj) C14: from Latin prīmus first; (n) C13: from Latin prīma (hora) the first (hour); (vb) C16: of uncertain origin, probably connected with n
Word Origin and History for prime
adj.

late 14c., "first in order," from Latin primus "first, the first, first part," figuratively "chief, principal; excellent, distinguished, noble" (source also of Italian and Spanish primo), from pre-Italic *prismos, superlative of PIE *preis- "before," from root *per- (1) "beyond, through" (see per).

Meaning "first in importance" is from 1610s in English; that of "first-rate" is from 1620s. Arithmetical sense (e.g. prime number) is from 1560s; prime meridian is from 1878. Prime time originally (c.1500) meant "spring time;" broadcasting sense of "peak tuning-in period" is attested from 1961.

n.

"earliest canonical hour" (6 a.m.), Old English prim, from Medieval Latin prima "the first service," from Latin prima hora "the first hour" (of the Roman day). Meaning "most vigorous stage" first recorded 1530s; specifically "springtime of human life" (often meaning ages roughly 21 to 28) is from 1590s. In classical Latin, noun uses of the adjective meant "first part, beginning; leading place."

v.

"to fill, charge, load" (a weapon), 1510s, probably from prime (adj.). Meaning "to cover with a first coat of paint or dye" is from c.1600. To prime a pump (c.1840) meant to pour water down the tube, which saturated the sucking mechanism and made it draw up water more readily. Related: Primed; priming.

Idioms and Phrases with prime

prime

also see:
past one's prime