prime

prime¹ [praım] adj [only before noun]

[Date: 1300-1400; : French; Origin: Latin primus 'first']

1.) most important

= ↑main

▪ Smoking is the prime cause of lung disease.

▪ Our prime concern is providing jobs for all young school leavers.

▪ He was named as the prime suspect in the murder investigation.

▪ Good management is of prime importance in business.

2.) of the very best quality or kind

▪ prime rib of beef

▪ prime agricultural land

▪ The hotel is in a prime location overlooking the valley.

3.) be a prime candidate/target (for sth)

to be the person or thing that is most suitable or most likely to be chosen for a particular purpose

▪ The school is a prime candidate for closure.

▪ Old people are a prime target for thieves.

4.) prime example

a very typical example of something

▪ Blakey Hall is a prime example of a 19th century building.

prime ²

prime² n [singular]

the time in your life when you are strongest and most active

in your prime

▪ She's now forty and still in her prime.

▪ He is now past his prime .

▪ a man in the prime of life

▪ a young singer who was tragically cut off in her prime (=died while she was in her prime)

prime ³

prime³ v [T]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(prepare somebody)¦

2¦(a gun)¦

3¦(paint)¦

4 prime the pump

5¦(water)¦

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1.) ¦(PREPARE SOMEBODY)¦

to prepare someone for a situation so that they know what to do

prime sb with sth

▪ Did you prime her with what to say?

prime sb for sth

▪ He had a shower and primed himself for action.

prime sb to do sth

▪ He had been primed to say nothing about it.

2.) ¦(A GUN)¦

to prepare a gun or bomb so that it can fire or explode

3.) ¦(PAINT)¦

to put a special layer of paint on a surface, in order to prepare it for the next layer

▪ All metal surfaces will have to be primed.

4.) prime the pump informal

to encourage a business, industry, or activity to develop by putting money or effort into it

5.) ¦(WATER)¦

to pour water into a water pump in order to make it ready to work