Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense primes, present participle priming, past tense, past participle primed
1. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use prime to describe something that is most important in a situation.
Political stability, meanwhile, will be a prime concern.
It could be a prime target for guerrilla attack.
The police will see me as the prime suspect!
She is the prime candidate to take over his job.
Synonyms: main, leading, chief, central More Synonyms of prime
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use prime to describe something that is of the best possible quality.
It was one of the City's prime sites, near the Stock Exchange.
Synonyms: best, top, select, highest More Synonyms of prime
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use prime to describe an example of a particular kind of thing that is absolutely typical.
Marianne North was a prime example of Victorian womanhood of the more adventurouskind.
Synonyms: fundamental, original, basic, primary More Synonyms of prime
4. uncountable noun [usually poss NOUN]
If someone or something is in their prime, they are at the stage in their existence when they are at their strongest, most active, or most successful.
Maybe I'm just coming into my prime now.
She was in her intellectual prime.
We've had a series of athletes trying to come back well past their prime.
...young persons in the prime of life. [+ of]
Synonyms: peak, flower, bloom, maturity More Synonyms of prime
5. verb
If you prime someone to do something, you prepare them to do it, for example by giving them information aboutit beforehand.
Claire wished she'd primed Sarah beforehand. [VERB noun]
Arnold primed her for her duties. [VERB noun + for]
The press corps was primed to leap to the defense of the fired officials. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
Synonyms: inform, tell, train, coach More Synonyms of prime
6. verb
If someone primes a bomb or a gun, they prepare it so that it is ready to explode or fire.
He was priming the bomb to go off in an hour's time. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
Tom keeps a primed 10-foot shotgun in his office. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: prepare, set up, load, equip More Synonyms of prime
7. to prime the pump
More Synonyms of prime
prime in British English
(praɪm)
adjective
1. (prenominal)
first in quality or value; first-rate
2. (prenominal)
fundamental; original
3. (prenominal)
first in importance, authority, etc; chief
4. mathematics
a.
having no factors except itself or one
x2 + x + 3 is a prime polynomial
b. (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. mathematics short for prime number
10. linguistics
a semantically indivisible element; minimal component of the sense of a word
11. music
a.
unison
b.
the tonic of a scale
12. mainly Roman Catholic 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 (ˈprimely)
adverb
primeness (ˈprimeness)
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
prime in American English
(praɪm)
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. Ancient Mathematics
a.
of or being a prime number
b.
having no factor in common except 1
9 and 16 are prime to each other
noun
7.
a. [oftenP-]; Roman CatholicChurch
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)
b.
the first hour of the daylight, conventionally taken to begin about 6 a.m.
c.
the earliest part of something; beginning
8.
a.
springtime
b.
the springtime of life; youth
9.
a.
the best, most vigorous, or most fully mature period or stage of a person or thing
a soprano in her prime
b.
the best part of anything
c.
the best of several or many; pick; cream
10.
a symbol () used
a.
to distinguish between different values of the same variable
b.
to distinguish a letter, number, or other character from another of the same kind, as A
c.
for certain units of measure, as feet or minutes of arc
11. Ancient Mathematics
prime number
12. Music
unison
verb transitiveWord forms: primed or ˈpriming
13.
to make ready; prepare
a team primed for a game
14.
to prepare (a gun) for firing or (a charge) for exploding by providing with priming or a primer
15.
a.
to get (a pump) into operation by pouring in water until the suction is established
b.
to get (a carburetor, etc.) into operation by adding extra fuel
16.
to undercoat, size, etc. (a surface) in preparation as for painting
17.
to provide (a person) beforehand with information, answers, etc.
verb intransitive
18.
to prime a person or thing
19.
to let a spray of water mix with the steam forced into the cylinder, as of a steam engine
Derived forms
primeness (ˈprimeness)
noun
Word origin
ME < MFr < L primus, first < OL pri, before < IE base *per-, beyond > far, first
prime in Finance
(praɪm)
adjective
(Finance: Banking, Credit)
Prime borrowers are the least risky, most creditworthy borrowers.
The term 'subprime' refers to the credit quality of particular borrowers, who haveweakened credit histories and a greater risk of loan default than prime borrowers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 61 percent of all subprime loans that yearwent to prime borrowers.
Prime borrowers are the least risky, most creditworthy borrowers.
prime rate
Related wordsCompare with subprime. A subprime loan is a loan with a higher interest rate, to borrowers who are a highcredit risk.
More idioms containing
prime
prime the pump
Examples of 'prime' in a sentence
prime
It would have been easier getting in to see the prime minister.
Stuart Harrison LOST SUMMER (2002)
There's a country house up there on the Cleveland Hills with about eighteen acres of prime land.
Lewis, Roy A TROUT IN THE MILK (2002)
The prime agent of death was unquestionably tuberculosis.
Maclean, Alistair SAN ANDREAS (2002)
He had no title or official position but he regularly bought and sold prime ministers, cardinals, ambassadors and kings.
Scott, Jack A KNIFE BETWEEN THE RIBS (2002)
Word lists with
prime
fencing
In other languages
prime
British English: prime ADJECTIVE
You use prime to describe something that is most important in a situation.
Political stability, meanwhile, will be a prime concern.
American English: prime
Brazilian Portuguese: primário
Chinese: 主要的
European Spanish: principal
French: primordial
German: oberste
Italian: primario
Japanese: 最重要な
Korean: 가장 중요한
European Portuguese: primário
Latin American Spanish: principal
British English: prime NOUN
If someone or something is in their prime, they are at the stage in their existence when they are at their strongest, most active, or most successful.
Maybe I'm just coming into my prime now.
American English: prime
Brazilian Portuguese: apogeu
Chinese: 全盛时期
European Spanish: apogeo
French: mieux de sa forme
German: die besten Jahre
Italian: rigoglio
Japanese: 全盛期
Korean: 전성기
European Portuguese: apogeu
Latin American Spanish: apogeo
British English: prime VERB
If you prime someone to do something, you prepare them to do it, for example by giving them information about it beforehand.
She wished she'd primed her friend beforehand.
American English: prime
Brazilian Portuguese: preparar
Chinese: 事先交代某人做某事
European Spanish: preparar
French: mettre au courant
German: informieren
Italian: preparare
Japanese: 前もって教える
Korean: 귀띔을 해주다
European Portuguese: preparar
Latin American Spanish: preparar
All related terms of 'prime'
prime rib
a choice cut of beef consisting of the seven ribs immediately before the loin
prime bill
a bill that is accepted by a bank in first-class credit
prime cost
the portion of the cost of a commodity that varies directly with the amount of it produced, principally comprising materials and labour
prime focus
the focal point of the objective lens or primary mirror of a telescope
prime mover
The prime mover behind a plan , idea, or situation is someone who has an important influence in starting it.
prime rate
A bank's prime rate is the lowest rate of interest which it charges at a particular time and which is offered only to certain customers .
prime time
Prime time television or radio programmes are broadcast when the greatest number of people are watching television or listening to the radio, usually in the evenings .
prime factor
any number in the set of prime numbers that is also a factor of a given integer
prime number
In mathematics , a prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that cannot be divided exactly by any whole number except itself and the number 1, for example 17.
prime suspect
A suspect is a person who the police or authorities think may be guilty of a crime .
prime meridian
the 0° meridian from which the other meridians or lines of longitude are calculated , usually taken to pass through Greenwich
prime minister
The leader of the government in some countries is called the Prime Minister .
prime vertical
the great circle passing through the observer's zenith and meeting the horizon due east and west
prime ministerial
of or relating to the head of a parliamentary government
prime the pump
to take action to help something succeed or grow, usually by spending money on it
the Prime Mover
God , esp when considered as a first cause
to prime the pump
To prime the pump means to do something to encourage the success or growth of something, especially the economy .
primetime television
Television refers to all the programmes that you can watch .
Chinese translation of 'prime'
prime
(praɪm)
adj
(= major)[cause, concern, target]首要的 (shǒuyào de)
(= best)[condition, position]第一流的 (dìyīliú de)
n(c)
in one's prime处(處)于(於)黄(黃)金时(時)期 (chǔyú huángjīn shíqī)
vt
(= prepare)
to prime sb (to do sth)事先使某人准(準)备(備)好(做某事) (shìxiān shǐ mǒurén zhǔnbèihǎo (zuò mǒushì))
[gun]装(裝) (zhuāng)
[wood]给(給) ... 上底漆 (gěi ... shàng dǐqī)
of prime importance最重要 (zuì zhòngyào)
prime beef上等牛肉 (shàngděng niúròu)
a prime example of ... ... 最典型的例子 ( ... zuì diǎnxíng de lìzi)
in the prime of life处(處)于(於)壮(壯)年时(時)期 (chǔyú zhuàngnián shíqī)