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prime
[prahym]
adjective
of the first importance; demanding the fullest consideration.
a prime requisite.
Synonyms:of the greatest relevance or significance.
a prime example.
of the highest eminence or rank.
the prime authority on Chaucer.
of the greatest commercial value.
prime building lots.
first-rate.
This ale is prime!
(of meat, especially of beef ) noting or pertaining to the first grade or best quality.
prime ribs of beef.
first in order of time, existence, or development; earliest; primitive.
basic; fundamental.
the prime axioms of his philosophy.
Mathematics.(of any two or more numbers) having no common divisor except unity.
The number 2 is prime to 9.
noun
the most flourishing stage or state.
the time of early manhood or womanhood.
the prime of youth.
the period or state of greatest perfection or vigor of human life.
a man in his prime.
the choicest or best part of anything.
(especially in the grading of U.S. beef ) a grade, classification, or designation indicating the highest or most desirable quality.
the beginning or earliest stage of any period.
the spring of the year.
the first hour or period of the day, after sunrise.
Banking.prime rate.
Ecclesiastical.the second of the seven canonical hours or the service for it, originally fixed for the first hour of the day.
Mathematics.
one of the equal parts into which a unit is primarily divided.
the mark (′) indicating such a division.
a, a′.
Fencing.the first of eight defensive positions.
Music.
(in a scale) the tonic or keynote.
Linguistics.any basic, indivisible unit used in linguistic analysis.
Metallurgy.a piece of tin plate free from visible defects.
verb (used with object)
to prepare or make ready for a particular purpose or operation.
to supply (a firearm) with powder for communicating fire to a charge.
to lay a train of powder to (a charge, mine, etc.).
to pour or admit liquid into (a pump) to expel air and prepare for action.
to put fuel into (a carburetor) before starting an engine, in order to insure a sufficiently rich mixture at the start.
to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat or color, as in painting.
to supply or equip with information, words, etc., for use.
The politician was primed by his aides for the press conference.
to harvest the bottom leaves from (a tobacco plant).
verb (used without object)
(of a boiler) to deliver or discharge steam containing an excessive amount of water.
to harvest the bottom leaves from a tobacco plant.
prime
/ ɪ /
adjective
(prenominal) first in quality or value; first-rate
(prenominal) fundamental; original
(prenominal) first in importance, authority, etc; chief
maths
having no factors except itself or one
x² + x + 3 is a prime polynomial
(foll by to) having no common factors (with)
20 is prime to 21
finance having the best credit rating
prime investments
noun
the time when a thing is at its best
a period of power, vigour, etc, usually following youth (esp in the phrase the prime of life )
the beginning of something, such as the spring
maths short for prime number
linguistics a semantically indivisible element; minimal component of the sense of a word
music
unison
the tonic of a scale
RC Church the second of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, originally fixed for the first hour of the day, at sunrise
the first of eight basic positions from which a parry or attack can be made in fencing
verb
to prepare (something); make ready
(tr) to apply a primer, such as paint or size, to (a surface)
(tr) 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
(tr) to increase the quantity of fuel in the float chamber of (a carburettor) in order to facilitate the starting of an engine
(tr) to insert a primer into (a gun, mine, charge, etc) preparatory to detonation or firing
(intr) (of a steam engine or boiler) to operate with or produce steam mixed with large amounts of water
(tr) to provide with facts, information, etc, beforehand; brief
Other 51Թ Forms
- primeness noun
- nonprime adjective
- reprime verb (used with object)
- self-primed adjective
- unprimed adjective
- well-primed adjective
- ˈ adverb
- ˈԱ noun
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of prime1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of prime1
Idioms and Phrases
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The Home Office said the national inquiry announced by the prime minister on Saturday would be able to "compel" investigations into "historic cases of grooming gang crimes".
It is his first major international gathering as Canadian prime minister.
"There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened and I'm not going to get into that," the Israeli prime minister said.
But on Thursday, the prime minister's official spokesman refused to comment on whether new accommodation would be built.
"But the prime minister wanted to assure himself he was doing everything that was necessary, which is why he asked Baroness Casey to do this rapid review," she added.
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Related 51Թs
When To Use
The word prime is used in mathematics to refer to a prime number, a number that can only be divided by itself or the number 1 to equal a whole number. The word prime can be used to describe something as the most important or most relevant among other similar things, like a prime example or a prime suspect. The word prime has many other senses as an adjective, noun, and verb.A number is considered to be a prime number if it can only be divided by itself and 1 to get a whole number, meaning there is no fractional or decimal remainder.
- Real-life example: The number 7 is a prime number. It can be divided by itself to equal 1 or by 1 to equal 7. Dividing 7 by any other number will not result in a whole number. For example, 7 divided by 2 is 3.5 (3 ½). Numbers that aren’t prime are called composite numbers. The number 6, for example, is a composite number because it can be divided by 3 to equal 2, which is a whole number. The numbers 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, and 17 are examples of prime numbers.
- Used in a sentence: The number 51 is not a prime number because it can be divided by 3 to get 17.
- Real-life example: If a high school student’s grades are the prime factor that a college considers when reviewing their application, this means it is the most important thing being considered. Your mom might say that you lying to her is the prime reason she is grounding you. This means that the lie was the most important reason and the fact that you didn’t clean your room or walk the dog are less important reasons.
- Used in a sentence: Studying before taking tests is the prime factor that will determine if you pass or fail a class.
- Real-life example: Your teacher might say that Bill Gates is a prime example of how learning about computers can lead to success in life, meaning he is the best example.
- Used in a sentence: The fact that my sister gave me $100 with no questions asked is a prime example of her generosity.
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