Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Adjective 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.2.2 Noun 1.2.2.1 Synonyms 1.2.2.2 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.1.1 Synonyms 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.4 Derived terms 1.5 Related terms 1.6 See also 1.7 References 2 French 2.1 Noun 3 Italian 3.1 Adjective 4 Romanian 4.1 Pronunciation 4.2 Adjective

[ English

[ Pronunciation

• IPA: /praɪm/, SAMPA: /praIm/, enPR: prīm
• Rhymes: -aɪm

[ Etymology 1

From Old (and modern) French prime, from Latin primus ‘first’.

[ Adjective

prime (not comparable)

1. First in time, order, or sequence

   Both the English and French governments established prime meridians in their capitals.

2. First in excellence, quality, or value.

   This is a prime location for a bookstore.

3. (mathematics) Having no integral factors except itself and unity (1 in the case of integers).

   Thirteen is a prime number.

4. First in importance, degree, or rank.

   Our prime concern here is to keep the community safe.

5. (mathematics) Having its complement closed under multiplication: said only of ideals.

[ Synonyms

• (first in importance, degree, or rank): greatest, most important, main, primary, principal, top
• (first in excellence, quality, or value): excellent, top quality
• (first in time, order, or sequence): earliest, first, original
• (in mathematics):

[ Translations

• Greek: κύριος [ˈkiriˌo̞s] m, πρωταρχικός [pro̞ˌtarçiˈko̞s] m, πρώτος [ˈpro̞to̞s] m
• Greek: άριστος [ˈariˌsto̞s] m, εκλεκτός [ˌe̞kle̞ˈkto̞s] m, πρώτος [ˈpro̞to̞s] m
• Greek: αρχικός [ˌarçiˈko̞s] m, πρωταρχικός [pro̞ˌtarçiˈko̞s] m, πρώτος [ˈpro̞to̞s]
• Greek: πρώτος [ˈpro̞to̞s] m

[ Noun

prime (plural primes)

1. the earliest stage
2. the most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
3. the chief or best individual or part
4. (music) The first note or tone of a musical scale.
5. (fencing) The first defensive position, with the sword hand held at head height, and the tip of the sword at head height.
6. (algebra, number theory) A prime element of a mathematical structure, particularly a prime number.

   3 is a prime.

7. (backgammon) Six consecutive blocks, which prevent the opponent's pieces from passing.

   I'm threatening to build a prime here.

[ Synonyms

• (most active, thriving, or successful stage or period): bloom, blossom, efflorescence, flower, flush, heyday, peak
• (chief or best individual or part): choice, prize, quality, select
• (algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure): prime number (when an integer)

[ Translations

• Greek: πρώτος [ˈpro̞to̞s] m

[ Etymology 2

Origin uncertain; perhaps related to primage.

[ Verb

to prime (third-person singular simple present primes, present participle priming, simple past and past participle primed)

1. (transitive) To prepare a mechanism for its main work.

   You'll have to press this button twice to prime the fuel pump.

2. (transitive) To apply a coat of primer paint to.

   I need to prime these handrails before we can apply the finish coat.

[ Synonyms

• (to apply a coat of primer paint to): ground, undercoat

[ Translations

• Basque: zenbaki
• Belarusian: Просты (prost'i lik)
• Bulgarian: Просто (prosto shislo)
• Chinese: 素 ()
• Estonian: al
• Ido: unesma, prima (4)
• Indonesian: prima
• Korean: 소 (so)
• Latin Primus
• Lithuanian: pirmini, -ai
• Norwegian: prim
• Sicilian: primu m
• Slovak: prvočís n
• Spanish: primo m
• Turkish: asal?

[ Derived terms

• primer

[ Related terms

• primal
• primary
• primate
• Primates
• primy

[ See also

• prime contract
• prime decomposition
• prime factorization
• prime number
• pseudoprime

[ References

• Notes:

1. ↑ 1.0 ^{1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Oxford-Paravia Concise - Dizionario Inglese-Italiano e Italiano-Inglese (in collaborazione con Oxford University Press). Edited by Maria Cristina Bareggi. Torino: Paravia, 2003.Source: this wikipedia article, under GFDL.
   This site was used times.