primer

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

prim·er¹

(prĭm′ər)

1. An elementary textbook for teaching children to read.

2. A book that covers the basic elements of a subject.

[Middle English, devotional manual, from Norman French, from Medieval Latin prīmārium, from neuter of prīmārius, first, from Latin, from prīmus; see prime.]

prim·er²

(prī′mər)

1. A cap or tube containing a small amount of explosive used to detonate the main explosive charge of a firearm or mine.

2. An undercoat of paint or size applied to prepare a surface, as for painting.

3. Genetics A segment of DNA or RNA that is complementary to a given DNA sequence and that is needed to initiate replication by DNA polymerase.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

primer

(ˈpraɪmə)

1. (Education) an introductory text, such as a school textbook

2. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing See long primer, great primer

[C14: via Anglo-Norman from Medieval Latin primārius (liber) a first (book), from Latin prīmārius primary]

primer

(ˈpraɪmə)

1. a person or thing that primes

2. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a device, such as a tube containing explosive, for detonating the main charge in a gun, mine, etc

3. (Chemistry) a substance, such as paint, applied to a surface as a base, sealer, etc

Also called (for senses 2, 3): priming

[C15: see prime (vb)]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

prim•er¹

(ˈprɪm ər; esp. Brit. ˈpraɪ mər)

n.

1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.

2. any book of elementary principles.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin prīmārium, n. use of neuter of prīmārius primary]

prim•er²

(ˈpraɪ mər)

n.

1. one that primes.

2. a cap, cylinder, etc., that supplies a compound for igniting a charge of powder.

3. a first coat of paint, size, etc., given to any surface as a base, sealer, or the like.

4. a short piece of DNA added to one end of a strand of DNA in order to define the portion to be copied.

[1490–1500]

primer

A book used to teach children to read, or one that covers the basics of a subject.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	primer - an introductory textbook school text, schoolbook, text edition, textbook, text - a book prepared for use in schools or colleges; "his economics textbook is in its tenth edition"; "the professor wrote the text that he assigned students to buy" speller - an introductory textbook to teach spelling hornbook - a primer that provides instruction in the rudiments or basic skills of a branch of knowledge
	2.	primer - any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant fuze, fuse, priming, fuzee, fusee detonating fuse - a fuse containing an explosive igniter, ignitor, lighter, light - a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires; "do you have a light?" safety fuse - a slow-burning fuse consisting of a tube or cord filled or saturated with combustible matter; used to ignite detonators from a distance time-fuse - a fuse made to burn for a given time (especially to explode a bomb)
	3.	primer - the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface flat coat, primer coat, priming coat, undercoat, priming, ground coat of paint - a layer of paint covering something else couch - a flat coat of paint or varnish used by artists as a primer

Translations

كِتاب يُعْطي الأسُسمادّة الأساس قبل الدّهان

podkladslabikářúvodzákladní příručka

begynderboggrunder

Grundierung Leitfaden Lesebuch

αναγνωστικό

abecé silabario

aabits

aapinennallipohjamaalisytyke

abécédaire amorce apprêt introduction manuel d'introduction

alapozó

grunnurkennslubók handa byrjendum

iniettore manuale elementare prima mano

チョークプライマー下塗下塗り入門書

ābece

begynnerbok grunning grunnmaling

základná príručka

grudva

astartemel bilgiler kitabı

入门书初级读本底漆

primer

[ˈpraɪməʳ] N

1. (= textbook) → manual m básico
a French primer → un manual básico de francés, un manual de francés elemental

2. (= basic reader) → abecedario m

3. (= paint) → pintura f base, imprimación f

4. [of bomb] → iniciador m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

primer

[ˈpraɪmə^r] n

(= paint) → apprêt m

(= book) → manuel m d'introductionprime rate n → taux m préférentielprime time

n (on TV, radio) → prime time m, heures fpl de grande écoute, heure f de grande écoute

adj [programme, public] → de prime time

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

primer

(= paint) → Grundierfarbe f, → Grundierung f; (= coat) → Grundierung f, → Grundieranstrich m

(esp Sch: = book) → Elementarbuch nt, → Anfangslehrbuch nt, → Fibel f

(= explosive) → Zündhütchen nt, → Treibladungszünder m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

primer

[ˈpraɪməʳ] n

a. (textbook) → testo elementare

b. (paint) → vernice f base inv

prime²

(praim) verb

to prepare (something) by putting something into or on it. He primed (=put gunpowder into) his gun; You must prime (=treat with primer) the wood before you paint it.

ˈprimer noun

1. a book that gives basic information about a subject.

2. a substance put on a surface to prime it before painting.

References in classic literature ?

In my memory there was a succession of such pictures, fixed there like the old woodcuts of one's first primer: Antonia kicking her bare legs against the sides of my pony when we came home in triumph with our snake; Antonia in her black shawl and fur cap, as she stood by her father's grave in the snowstorm; Antonia coming in with her work-team along the evening sky-line.

View in context

To this day, when I look upon the fat black letters in the primer, the puzzling novelty of their shapes, and the easy good-nature of O and Q and S, seem to present themselves again before me as they used to do.

View in context

Ann Shirley must learn to control her temper," and then read it out loud so that even the primer class, who couldn't read writing, should understand it.

View in context

I am in the Sixth Reader but just because I cannot say the seven multiplication Table Miss Dearborn threttens to put me in the baby primer class with Elijah and Elisha Simpson little twins.

View in context

It was actually fancied, at that period, that New England might have a John Rogers of her own to take the place of that worthy in the Primer.

View in context

Petrushka could read and write and knew Paulson's primer, his only book, almost by heart, and he was fond of quoting sayings from it that he thought suited the occasion, especially when he had had something to drink, as to-day.

View in context

Next I pried the primer, or cap, from the shell, and laid it on the rock, in the midst of the scattered powder.

View in context

"Yes, if your are good, and love your book, as the boys in the primer are told to do," said Meg, smiling.

View in context

A school for little children had been often in her thoughts; and, at one time, she had begun a review of her early studies in the New England Primer, with a view to prepare herself for the office of instructress.

View in context

Pearl, therefore -- so large were the attainments of her three years' lifetime -- could have borne a fair examination in the New England Primer, or the first column of the Westminster Catechisms, although unacquainted with the outward form of either of those celebrated works.

View in context

He spoke as though he had been reading from a child's Primer. When he had finished, he replaced his cigarette between his teeth.

View in context

He can read his primer, and I have brought down my Virgil.

View in context

Full browser ?

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close

primer

prim·er 1

prim·er 2

primer

primer

prim•er1

prim•er2

primer

primer

primer

primer

primer

prime2

prim·er¹

prim·er²

prim•er¹

prim•er²

prime²