Primer
adj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A prayer or devotional book intended for laity, initially an abridgment of the breviary and manual including the hours of the Virgin Mary, 15 gradual and 7 penitential psalms, the litany, the placebo and dirige forming the office of the dead, and the commendations. historical
- 2 Any substance or device, such as priming wire or blasting cap, used to ignite gunpowder or other explosive. countable, uncountable
"The percussion primer, known as the “ 110-grain percussion primer,” contains an igniting charge of 95 grains of black powder in addition to the essential elements of a percussion primer."
- 3 the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface wordnet
- 4 Any of various similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer. historical
- 5 A person who primes explosives. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Show 13 more definitions
- 6 any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant wordnet
- 7 A children's book intended to teach literacy: how to read, write, and spell.
"Four-year-old Elizabeth Finkle-McGraw would receive the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer from her grandfather. Fiona Hackworth would be getting a copy of the Illustrated Primer too, for this had been John Percival Hackworth's crime: He had programmed the matter compiler to place the cockleburs on the outside of Elizabeth's book."
- 8 A substance used to prime wood, metal, etc. in preparation for painting. countable, uncountable
- 9 an introductory textbook wordnet
- 10 An introductory text on any subject, particularly basic concepts.
"[...] The two assets of the book are clear explanation, and a multitude of extremely helpful diagrams, some in two colours, and cutaway photographs; these clearly unravel a difficult subject for the layman, as well as the student engineman for whom the primer is chiefly designed."
- 11 A layer of such a substance. countable, uncountable
- 12 An elementary school class; an elementary school student. New-Zealand, obsolete
- 13 A layer of makeup that goes beneath the foundation; undermakeup. countable, uncountable
"The undermakeup (primer) should be allowed to dry-set for 30 seconds. Apply foundation over the primer with a sponge using light, careful strokes to blend. Undermakeups come in cream form, sponge-on wands, or sponge-on cream, and as a lotion."
- 14 A person who primes wood, metal, etc. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 15 A molecule which initiates the synthesis of an enzyme, (especially) a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule which initiates DNA replication. countable, uncountable
- 16 A pheromone which interacts first with the endocrine system. countable, uncountable
- 17 A device used to prime an internal combustion engine with gasoline, (especially) in airplanes. countable, uncountable
- 18 A person who prunes trees. countable, uncountable
- 1 First in time, initial, early. not-comparable, obsolete
"the primer English kings"
- 2 First in importance, premier. not-comparable, obsolete
- 3 First in position, foremost. not-comparable, obsolete, rare
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"Let's have a little bit of a primer on weight and mass, especially if we start talking about atomic weight and atomic mass."
Etymology
From Middle English primer, primere, from Medieval Latin primarius and primarium (“prayer book”) possibly via Anglo-Norman primer (“prayer book”), from prima (“prime the liturgical hour and office”) + -arius and -arium (suffix forming related objects). Its use for schoolbooks derived from the late medieval and early modern use of such prayer books to teach reading.
From prime + -er.
From Anglo-Norman primer (“first”), from Latin prīmārius (“first”).
Unexplained.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.