| prime | |
| 1. adj. First in importance, degree, or rank. | |
| Our prime concern here is to keep the community safe. | |
| 2. adj. First in time, order, or sequence. | |
| Both the English and French governments established prime meridians in their capitals. | |
| 3. adj. First in excellence, quality, or value. | |
| This is a prime location for a bookstore. | |
| 4. adj. (mathematics, lay) Having exactly two integral factors: itself and unity (1 in the case of integers). | |
| Thirteen is a prime number. | |
| 5. adj. (mathematics, technical) Such that if it divides a product, it divides one of the multiplicands. | |
| 6. adj. (mathematics) Having its complement closed under multiplication: said only of ideals. | |
| 7. adj. Marked or distinguished by the prime symbol. | |
| 8. adj. Early; blooming; being in the first stage. | |
| 9. adj. (obsolete) Lecherous; lustful; lewd. | |
| 10. s. (historical) The first hour of daylight; the first canonical hour. | |
| 11. s. (Christianity) The religious service appointed to this hour. | |
| 12. s. (obsolete) The early morning generally. | |
| 13. s. (now rare) The earliest stage of something. | |
| 14. s. The most active, thriving, or successful stage or period. | |
| 15. s. The chief or best individual or part. | |
| 16. s. (music) The first note or tone of a musical scale. | |
| 17. s. (fencing) The first defensive position, with the sword hand held at head height, and the tip of the sword at head height. | |
| 18. s. (algebra, number theory) A prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number. | |
| 3 is a prime. | |
| 19. s. (card games) A four-card hand containing one card of each suit in the game of primero; the opposite of a flush in poker. | |
| 20. s. (backgammon) Six consecutive blocks, which prevent the opponent's pieces from passing. | |
| I'm threatening to build a prime here. | |
| 21. s. The symbol ′ used to indicate feet, minutes, derivation and other measures and mathematical operations. | |
| 22. s. (chemistry, 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 th | |
| 23. s. An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system. | |
| 24. s. (obsolete) The priming in a flintlock. | |
| 25. s. (film) Contraction of prime lens, a film lens | |
| 26. s. (chief or best individual or part) choice, prize, quality, select | |
| 27. s. (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure) prime number (when an integer) | |
| 28. v. To prepare a mechanism for its main work. | |
| You'll have to press this button twice to prime the fuel pump. | |
| 29. v. To apply a coat of primer paint to. | |
| I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat. | |
| 30. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To be renewed. | |
| 31. v. (intransitive) To serve as priming for the charge of a gun. | |
| 32. v. (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. | |
| 33. v. To apply priming to (a musket or cannon); to apply a primer to (a metallic cartridge). | |
| 34. v. To prepare; to make ready; to instruct beforehand; to coach. | |
| to prime a witness | |
| The boys are primed for mischief. | |
| 35. v. (dialect) To trim or prune. | |
| to prime trees | |
| 36. v. (math) To mark with a prime mark. | |
| 37. s. (cycling) An intermediate sprint within a race, usually offering a prize and/or points. | |
