prime
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of PRIME
always used before a noun
1
:
most important
:
primary
-
our prime responsibility
-
The wine industry is of prime importance to the California economy.
-
The police have not yet named the prime suspect in the murder investigation.
2
:
of the highest quality or value
:
excellent
-
prime beef
-
The house is expensive because it's in a prime location.
-
prime farmland
3
— used to say that someone or something is a very good example of a particular kind of person or thing
-
The melting of ice caps is a prime example of the effects of global warming.
-
Orson Welles is a prime example of the movie director as artist.
-
a prime specimen of a racehorse
4
:
most likely or very likely to be chosen for something, to experience something, etc.
-
The mayor has become a prime target for criticism.
-
Her father was unhealthy and looked like a prime candidate for a heart attack. [=he looked like someone who was likely to have a heart attack]
2
prime
/ˈpraɪm/
noun
2
prime
/ˈpraɪm/
noun
Britannica Dictionary definition of PRIME
1
[singular]
:
the period in life when a person is best in health, strength, etc.
:
the most active or successful time of a person's life
-
young college graduates in the prime of life
-
She just retired, but she's still in her prime. [=still active and in good health]
-
He was a great pitcher once, but he's past his prime. [=is no longer as good as he was when he was younger]
2
3
prime
/ˈpraɪm/
verb
primes;
primed;
priming
3
prime
/ˈpraɪm/
verb
primes;
primed;
priming
Britannica Dictionary definition of PRIME
[+ object]
1
:
to make (someone) ready to do something
:
prepare
-
She was obviously primed for the questions at the press conference.
-
Both teams are primed for battle and ready to play.
2
:
to make (something) ready for use
-
prime a bomb/gun
-
prime a pump
-
prime an engine
3
:
to cover (a surface) with special paint in order to prepare it for the final layer of paint
-
We sanded and primed the woodwork before painting.
prime the pump
:
to do something that will help a thing to grow or develop
-
The government has to prime the pump to get the economy going.
-
That sort of language will only prime the pump for an ugly argument later.
