From Middle English prime, from Old French prime and its etymon, Latin prīmus (“first”), from earlier prīsmos < *prīsemos < Proto-Italic *priisemos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond, before”). Doublet of primo and primus.
The noun sense "apostrophe-like symbol" originates from the fact that the symbol ′ was originally a superscript Roman numeral one.
Meanings
First in importance, degree, or rank.
Our prime concern here is to keep the community safe.
First in time, order, or sequence.
I thought it lawful from my forme act, / And the ſame end ; ſtill watching to oppreſs / Iſrael’s oppreſſours : of what now I ſuffer / She was not the prime cauſe, but I my ſelf, / Who vanquiſht with a peal of words (O weakneſs !) / Gave up my fort of ſilence to a Woman. 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 21:
Better to clear prime forests, heave and thump / A league of street in summer solstice down, / Than hammer at this reverend gentlewoman. 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part III”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 52:
The process of recording a transaction in the accounts begins with an entry in what is termed a book of prime entry. 2013, Ralph Denny, Accounts for Solicitors - Page 33:
Both the English and French governments established prime meridians in their capitals.
First in excellence, quality, or value.
Gemmen (says he), you all well know / The joy there is whene'er we meet; / It's what I call the primest go, / And rightly named, 'tis—'quite a treat,' […] 1820, Thomas Moore, W. Simpkin, R. Marshall, Jack Randall's Diary of Proceedings at the House of Call for Genius:
Average cost, 10d. to 18. per lb. for the primest parts. 1861, Isabella Beeton, Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management:
This is a prime location for a bookstore.
"Is it very pleasant to be there, Bob?" / "Prime," said the turnkey. 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “The Child of the Marshalsea”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC, 1st book (Poverty), page 50:
(qualifier:lay) Having exactly two integral factors: itself and unity (1 in the case of integers).
Thirteen is a prime number.
Such that if it divides a product, it divides one of the multiplicands.
(of an ideal) Having its complement closed under multiplication.
(of a nonzero module) Such that the annihilator of any nonzero submodule is equal to the annihilator of the whole module.
Marked or distinguished by the prime symbol.
Early; blooming; being in the first stage.
[...] His ſtarrie Helme unbuckl’d ſhew’d him prime / In Manhood where Youth ended ; by his ſide / As in a glittering Zodiac hung the Sword, / Satans dire dread, and in his hand the Spear. 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 245–248:
(obsolete) Lecherous, lewd, lustful.
It is impoſſible you ſhould ſee this, / Were they as prime as Goates, as hot as Monkies, / As ſalt as Wolues, in pride; and fooles as groſſe / As ignorance made drunke: [...] c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 53:
sga prím (first in importance, degree, or rank) · de prim- (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · sl prvi (first in time, order, or sequence) · ja 第一 (first in time, order, or sequence) · hi प्राथमिक (first in importance, degree, or rank) · sv huvud- (first in importance, degree, or rank) · cmn 質數 /质数 (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · it di prima qualità (first in excellence, quality, or value) · el εκλεκτός (first in excellence, quality, or value) · cmn 主要 (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ru просто́й (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · fi pää- (first in importance, degree, or rank) · hu első (first in time, order, or sequence) · es primo (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ja 素数 (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · es primero (first in time, order, or sequence) · da hoved- (first in importance, degree, or rank) · hi श्रेष्ठ (first in excellence, quality, or value) · da vigtigste (first in importance, degree, or rank) · bg първоначален (first in time, order, or sequence) · pt primo (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · da tidligste (first in time, order, or sequence) · fi ensimmäinen (first in time, order, or sequence) · uk перви́нний (first in time, order, or sequence) · eo unuaranga (first in excellence, quality, or value) · da førsteklasses (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fi priima (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pt primeira (first in time, order, or sequence) · pl pierwszy (first in importance, degree, or rank) · he ראשי (first in importance, degree, or rank) · io primordiala (first in importance, degree, or rank) · cmn 優質 /优质 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · hu fő- (mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication) · fi ensi- (first in time, order, or sequence) · fr principal (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ro prim (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · sl praštevilo (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · nl uitstekend (first in excellence, quality, or value) · es excelente (first in excellence, quality, or value) · hi सर्वश्रेष्ठ (first in excellence, quality, or value) · nl eerste (first in importance, degree, or rank) · fr de premier ordre (first in excellence, quality, or value) · es primoroso (first in excellence, quality, or value) · he מצויין (first in excellence, quality, or value) · bg превъзходен (first in excellence, quality, or value) · it di prima categoria (first in excellence, quality, or value) · es primo (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fi primaarinen (first in time, order, or sequence) · ru пе́рвый (first in time, order, or sequence) · hu remek (first in excellence, quality, or value) · mi pūwharu (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fr premier (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · da primtal- (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · cmn 高級 /高级 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · cmn 素數 /素数 (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · eo unuaranga (first in importance, degree, or rank) · es principal (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ja 素 (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · bg основен (first in importance, degree, or rank) · uk пе́рший (first in time, order, or sequence) · nl voornaamste (first in time, order, or sequence) · sl prvenstven (first in importance, degree, or rank) · pt de primeira (first in excellence, quality, or value) · uk основни́й (first in importance, degree, or rank) · fi alku- (mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication) · ar فَاخِر (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ja 最重要 (first in importance, degree, or rank) · hu kiváló (first in excellence, quality, or value) · hu príma (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sga prím- (first in importance, degree, or rank) · fi tärkein (first in importance, degree, or rank) · uk першокла́сний (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sv viktigast (first in importance, degree, or rank) · cmn 第一 (first in time, order, or sequence) · ca primaria (first in importance, degree, or rank) · tl lantay (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · da primær (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ja 最良 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fi ensiluokkainen (first in excellence, quality, or value) · hu elsődleges (first in importance, degree, or rank) · pt primeiro (first in importance, degree, or rank) · sga prím (first in time, order, or sequence) · hu nagyszerű (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sv först (first in time, order, or sequence) · it principale (first in importance, degree, or rank) · sv prim- (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · nl eerste (first in time, order, or sequence) · ca principal (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ja 第一級 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sv förnämst (first in importance, degree, or rank) · sv prima (first in excellence, quality, or value) · da første (first in time, order, or sequence) · mi pūharu (first in excellence, quality, or value) · hu kitűnő (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pt principal (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ru гла́вный (first in importance, degree, or rank) · fr supérieur (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ar مُمْتَاز (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sga prím- (first in time, order, or sequence) · it primario (first in importance, degree, or rank) · cmn 首 (first in time, order, or sequence) · tr asal (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · es primario (first in importance, degree, or rank) · io precipua (first in importance, degree, or rank) · et algarv (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ca primari (first in importance, degree, or rank) · sv främst (first in importance, degree, or rank) · hu ragyogó (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fi jaoton (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · et esimene (first in time, order, or sequence) · mi toitū (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · de erste (first in time, order, or sequence) · sl prvi (first in importance, degree, or rank) · la simplex (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · fr premier (first in time, order, or sequence) · fa بهترین (first in excellence, quality, or value) · cmn 素 (mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication) · cmn 一流 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ca primordial (first in importance, degree, or rank) · et parim (first in excellence, quality, or value) · tr birincil (first in time, order, or sequence) · ru важне́йший (first in importance, degree, or rank) · fr excellent (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ja 素 (mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication) · nl primair (first in importance, degree, or rank) · nl priem (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · uk просте́ число́ (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · cmn 首要 (first in importance, degree, or rank) · pl pierwsza (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · it iniziale (first in time, order, or sequence) · hu fő (first in importance, degree, or rank) · it ottimo (first in excellence, quality, or value) · tl balho (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · uk головни́й (first in importance, degree, or rank) · bg прост (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ja 最高 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pt primeiro (first in time, order, or sequence) · nl prima (first in excellence, quality, or value) · nl beste (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pl pierwszy (first in excellence, quality, or value) · bg пръв (first in time, order, or sequence) · sl prvovrsten (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pl pierwszy (first in time, order, or sequence) · he ראשוני (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ja 最適 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · pt primeira (first in importance, degree, or rank) · es primordial (first in importance, degree, or rank) · eo prima (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · hi प्रथम (first in time, order, or sequence) · cmn 首 (first in importance, degree, or rank) · el πρώτος (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ja 最初 (first in time, order, or sequence) · cmn 最好 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ru основно́й (first in importance, degree, or rank) · hi अभाज्य (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · sv förstklassig (first in excellence, quality, or value) · mi tetere (first in excellence, quality, or value) · fi alku- (first in time, order, or sequence) · hu prím (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · ja 第一級 (first in importance, degree, or rank) · nl voornaamste (first in importance, degree, or rank) · it primo (first in time, order, or sequence) · cmn 上等 (first in excellence, quality, or value) · bg главен (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ca primer (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · hi प्रथम (first in importance, degree, or rank) · it di prima scelta (first in excellence, quality, or value) · sv tidigast (first in time, order, or sequence) · el πρωταρχικός (first in importance, degree, or rank) · ru первокла́ссный (first in excellence, quality, or value) · it primo (mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity) · el πρώτος (first in time, order, or sequence) · ru превосхо́дный (first in excellence, quality, or value) · ru перви́чный (first in time, order, or sequence)
From Middle English prime, from Old French prime and its etymon, Latin prīmus (“first”), from earlier prīsmos < *prīsemos < Proto-Italic *priisemos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond, before”). Doublet of primo and primus.
The noun sense "apostrophe-like symbol" originates from the fact that the symbol ′ was originally a superscript Roman numeral one.
Meanings
(historical) The first hour of daylight; the first canonical hour.
His larum bell might lowd and wyde be hard,
When cause requyrd, but neuer out of time;
Early and late it rong, at euening and at prime. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 314:
The religious service appointed to this hour.
(obsolete) The early morning generally.
They all as glad, as birdes of ioyous Pryme […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 81:
(archaic) The earliest stage of something.
To this end we see how quickly sundry artes Mechanical were found out in the very prime of the world. [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book II, page 69:
1645, Edmund Waller, “To a very young Lady” (earlier title: “To my young Lady Lucy Sidney”) in Poems, &c. Written upon Several Occasions, and to Several Persons, London: H. Herringman, 1686, p. 101,
Hope waits upon the flowry prime,
The most active, thriving, or successful stage or period.
Once upon a time you dressed so fine. You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you? 1965, Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone”:
When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver’d o'er with white; 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 12”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC:
And it’s daunting because each segment has to tell a full, complete story in something like six minutes while doing justice to revered source material and including the non-stop laughs and genius gags that characterized The Simpsons in its god-like prime. 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
Short were her Marriage-Joys; for in the Prime, / Of Youth, her Lord expir’d before his time: […] 1700, [John] Dryden, “Sigismonda and Guiscardo, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 124:
1965 (November 3rd) "The Courtship of Elly" (Beverly Hillbillies s4e8) Granny
Cousin Pearl says that folks back home are beginning to talk, asking about your spinster daughter. Now, Jed, let's not fool ourselves with city talk. You know and I know that prime is fourteen. Anything over that, and you're slidin' downhill.
None but foreigners, excluded by their religion from the cemeteries of the country, are deposited here […]. The far greater part had been cut off in their prime, by unexpected disease or fatal accident. 1813, John Chetwode Eustace, chapter 10, in A Tour through Italy, volume 1, London: J. Mawman, pages 225–226:
The chief or best individual or part.
Give him always of the prime;
And but a little at a time. 1726, Jonathan Swift, “To a Lady, who desired the author to write some verses upon her in the heroic style” in The Works of Dr. Jonathan Swift, London: W. Bowyer et al., Volume 7, p. 396, Give no more to ev’ry guest Than he’s able to digest
Something which is first in importance or rank: a prime defense company, mortgage lender, etc.
The large primes are struggling to do things the way Anduril does, because they're publicly traded companies with an existing investor class that invested in them to be a certain type of company. 2023 December 4, Can Palmer Luckey Reinvent the U.S. Defense Industry? - WSJ, The Wall Street Journal
I found just as we were fearful we would find that many of the big primes felt that this was a change of policy on the part of the U.S. Government to let the big fellows take care of it, and they were ready to cut back, and in many instances were cutting back[…] 1966, United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Small Business, Hearings, Reports and Prints of the House Select Committee on Small Business, page 60:
The first note or tone of a musical scale.
The first defensive position, with the sword hand held at head height, and the tip of the sword at head height.
A prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number.
Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes. 2013 July-August, Sarah Glaz, “Ode to Prime Numbers”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
3 is a prime.
A four-card hand containing one card of each suit in the game of primero; the opposite of a flush in poker.
A series of consecutive blocks. A prime of six prevents the opponent's pieces from passing.
I'm threatening to build a prime here.
The symbol ′ used to indicate feet, minutes, derivation and other measures and mathematical operations.
(obsolete) Any number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; so called because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1.
An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system.
(obsolete) The priming in a flintlock.
[…] he pull’d the Trigger, but Providence being pleas’d to preserve me for some other Purpose, the Cock snapp’d, and miss’d Fire. Whether the Prime was wet in the Pan, or by what other Miracle it was I escap’d his Fury, I cannot say […] 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, pages 95–96:
(abbreviation, alt-of, contraction) Contraction of prime lens, a film lens.
Tomlinson, Shawn M. (2015), Going Pro for $200 & How to Choose a Prime Lens, →ISBN, page 72: “By the time I shifted to my first autofocus film SLR with the Pentax PZ-10, primes were considered things of the past”
A feather, from the wing of the cock ostrich, that is of the palest possible shade.
associated prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Leyland prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Markov prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · dihedral prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · emirp ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wilson prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · odd prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · fortunate prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Pillai prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · two-sided prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · even prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · self prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · non-generous prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Higgs prime for squares ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Pell prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · centered decagonal prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Euler irregular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Pierpont prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Chen prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · primorial prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · long prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · circular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Mills prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Euclid-Mullin Sequence prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Ulam prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · happy prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Ramanujan prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · supersingular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · regular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · partition prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · primeval prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Gilda's prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · super-prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · left-truncatable prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · illegal prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · lucky prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · irregular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wall-Sun-Sun prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · centered square prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Fibonacci prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Solinas prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · permutable prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · annihilating prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · double Mersenne prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · double factorial prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · titanic prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · highly cototient prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · centered triangular prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · swinging prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Perrin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Weakly primes ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wieferich prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Smarandache-Wellin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Genocchi prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Mersenne prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · snowball prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · repunit prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Sophie Germain prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · unique prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Kynea prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Fermat prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Lucas prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · safe prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · generalized Fermat prime base 10 ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Thabit prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wolstenholme prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Pythagorean prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Catalan prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Motzkin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · minimal prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Proth prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wall–Sun–Sun prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Stern prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Padovan prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · harmonic prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · sexy prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Carol prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wagstaff prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · isolated prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Quartan prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Eisenstein prime without imaginary part ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · centered heptagonal prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Gaussian prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · delannoy prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Bell prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · factorial prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Woodall prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Euclid prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · twin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · palindromic wing prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · deletable prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Smarandache–Wellin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · additive prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · cousin prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Cullen prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · palindromic prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Schröder prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · right-truncatable prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · prime subring ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Schröder-Hipparchus prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Cuban prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Newman–Shanks–Williams prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · Wedderburn-Etherington prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · prime of Binary Quadratic Form ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · good prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · star prime ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number) · prime triplet ((number theory) Prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number)
Synonyms
bloom (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · white (A feather, from the wing of the cock ostrich, that is of the palest possible shade.) · early morning (early morning generally) · efflorescence (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · prize (chief or best individual or part) · flower (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · choice (chief or best individual or part) · select (chief or best individual or part) · blossom (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · flush (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · heyday (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · peak (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · prime number (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · morning · quality (chief or best individual or part)
Translations (109)
mi paerangi (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · bg разцвет (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · hu prím (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · la prima (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · ja 初期 (earliest stage) · de Höhepunkt der Laufbahn (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · es fastigio (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · sl vrhunec (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · de Blüte (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · bg утринна молитва (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · sv utvald (chief or best individual or part) · nl priemgetal (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · it nel fiore degli anni (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · ja 第一の構え (fencing: first defensive position) · fi prima (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · cmn 旺季 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · de Blütezeit (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · hu prímszám (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · sv prim (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · es mejor momento (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi aamunkoitto (early morning) · ang prīm (first hour after dawn) · de Glanzzeit (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi pilkku (symbol ( ′ )) · cmn 初期 (earliest stage) · cmn 黃金時期 /黄金时期 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi priimi (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · ru нача́ло (earliest stage) · fi sytytysruuti (priming in a flintlock) · da primtal (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · fi paras (chief or best individual or part) · cs prima (backgammon: six consecutive blocks) · pt número primo (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · fi massaluku (chemistry: number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element) · de die besten Jahre (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi alku (earliest stage) · hu vessző (symbol ( ′ )) · ja 素 (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · ca prima (first hour after dawn) · it all’apice (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · it inizi (earliest stage) · da begyndelse (earliest stage) · ang fruma (earliest stage) · ja 原始 (earliest stage) · cmn 主音 (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · ru просто́е число́ (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · bg начало (earliest stage) · ca primer (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · sv glansdagar (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi paras pala (chief or best individual or part) · bg разсвет (first hour after dawn) · sl prima (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · fi priimi (fencing: first defensive position) · cmn 精髓 (chief or best individual or part) · grc ἀκμή (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · ja 主音 (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · pt primo (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · fr nombre premier (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · cmn 鼎盛期 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · es cresta de la ola (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi kuuden blokki (backgammon: six consecutive blocks) · it tonale (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · fr tonique (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · bg ранна утрин (early morning) · ca prima (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · cs prima (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · fi aamunkoitto (first hour after dawn) · es culmen (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · sv prim (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · tr üssü (symbol ( ′ )) · pt princípio (earliest stage) · ca primer (symbol ( ′ )) · sv primtal (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · sv prim (fencing: first defensive position) · ang prīm (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · mi poutūmārōtanga (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · hu fénykor (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · nl priem (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · ja 最初 (earliest stage) · sv början (earliest stage) · cmn 壯年期 /壮年期 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · bg просто число (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · it principio (earliest stage) · ang prīmsang (Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight) · ru зени́т (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · ru расцве́т (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · el ακμή (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · la flōs (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · pt auge (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · sv primtecken (symbol ( ′ )) · sv storhetstid (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · es primordio (earliest stage) · cmn 素数 (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · fi synty (earliest stage) · cs prvočíslo (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · fi yläpuolinen indeksointipilkku (symbol ( ′ )) · fi kukoistus (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi juurisävel (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · it numero primo (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · pt ápice (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · ja 最盛期 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · bg тоника (music: first note or tone of a musical scale) · da blomstringstid (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · ang prīmtīd (first hour after dawn) · ko 한창 (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · de Höhe des Schaffens (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period) · fi alkuluku (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) · cmn 精華 /精华 (chief or best individual or part) · la prima (first hour after dawn)
prime en · VERB · etymology 2
Pronunciation
prīm
/pɹaɪ̯m/
Etymology
Related to primage and Latin prīmus.
Meanings
(transitive) To fill or prepare the chamber of a mechanism for its main work.
You'll have to press this button twice to prime the fuel pump.
(transitive) To apply a coat of primer paint to.
I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat.
(intransitive, obsolete) To be renewed.
Nights baſhfull Empreſſe, though ſhe often wayne, / As oft repents her darkneſſe ; primes againe ; / And with her circling Hornes does re-embrace / Her brothers wealth, and orbs her ſilver face. 1634, Francis Quarles, “My Soule Hath Desired Thee in the Night”, in Emblemes, London: G. M., published 1635, book III, page 129:
(intransitive) To serve as priming for the charge of a gun.
(intransitive, of a steam boiler) To work so that foaming occurs from too violent ebullition, which causes water to become mixed with, and be carried along with, the steam that is formed.
Although we took our eight bogies along to Whitstable at 60 m.p.h., and made a clean start from there, after Herne Bay the engine primed badly on Blacksole Bank and nearly stopped before we got over the top. Then we ran like the wind across the marshes with half-regulator, 30 per cent cut-off, and the engine blowing off. 1959 April, P. Ransome-Wallis, “The Southern in Trouble on the Kent Coast”, in Trains Illustrated, London: Ian Allan Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 220:
To apply priming to (a musket or cannon); to apply a primer to (a metallic cartridge).
To prepare; to make ready.
The boys are primed for mischief.
“He’s priming himself,” Osborne whispered to Dobbin, and at length the hour and the carriage arrived for Vauxhall. 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Dobbin of Ours”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 42:
(archaic) To instruct beforehand, as for an examination; to coach.
undercoat (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · ground (to apply a coat of primer paint to)
Translations (50)
bg грундирам (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · fr amorcer (to serve as priming for the charge of a gun) · da klargøre (to prepare a mechanism) · sv grundmåla (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · es cebar (to prepare a mechanism) · es emprimar (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · hu alapoz (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · fi valmistella (to prepare a mechanism) · it innescare (to prepare a mechanism) · es emprimar (to prepare a mechanism) · ru грунтова́ть (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · bg пускам (to prepare a mechanism) · es aprestar (to prepare a mechanism) · es aparejar (to prepare a mechanism) · hu előkészít (to prepare a mechanism) · es imprimar (to prepare a mechanism) · de bereit machen (to prepare a mechanism) · ja 用意する (to prepare a mechanism) · sv aptera (to prepare a mechanism) · fi pohjamaalata (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · es cebar (to serve as priming for the charge of a gun) · de ansaugen lassen (to prepare a mechanism) · ja 準備する (to prepare a mechanism) · gl imprimar (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · fr amorcer (to prepare a mechanism) · it dare una vernice di fondo su (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · hu előfeszít (to prepare a mechanism) · cmn 涂底漆 (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · nl primen (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · hu előhangol (to prepare a mechanism) · de scharf machen (to prepare a mechanism) · fr apprêter (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · de grundieren (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · sv förbereda (to prepare a mechanism) · it preparare (to prepare a mechanism) · de vorbereiten (to prepare a mechanism) · fi sytyttää (to serve as priming for the charge of a gun) · it caricare (to prepare a mechanism) · ja 下塗りする (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · cmn 起動 /起动 (to prepare a mechanism) · it adescare (to prepare a mechanism) · sv grunda (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · cmn 啓動 /启动 (to prepare a mechanism) · sl aktivirati (to prepare a mechanism) · hu alapozó réteget felvisz (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · cmn 上底漆 (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · de betriebsfertig machen (to prepare a mechanism) · sv klarställa (to prepare a mechanism) · es imprimar (to apply a coat of primer paint to) · ru гото́вить к рабо́те (to prepare a mechanism)
An intermediate sprint within a race, usually offering a prize and/or points.
Most primes are won with gaps on the field; most sprints are in bunches. 1997, Arnie Baker, Smart Cycling: Successful Training and Racing for Riders of All Levels: