prime
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: enpr: prīm
ipa: /pɹaɪ̯m/
rhymes: -aɪm
Forms: form: primer
form: primest
Etymology: From Middle English prime, from Old French prime and its etymon, Latin prīmus (“first”), from earlier prīsmos < *prīsemos < Proto-Italic *priisemos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond, before”). Doublet of primo and primus.
The noun sense "apostrophe-like symbol" originates from the fact that the symbol ′ was originally a superscript Roman numeral one.
Senses: examples: text: Our prime concern here is to keep the community safe.
synonyms: greatest
main
most important
primary
principal
top
glosses: First in importance, degree, or rank.
examples: text: Both the English and French governments established prime meridians in their capitals.
text: I thought it lawful from my forme act, / And the ſame end ; ſtill watching to oppreſs / Iſrael’s oppreſſours : of what now I ſuffer / She was not the prime cauſe, but I my ſelf, / Who vanquiſht with a peal of words (O weakneſs !) / Gave up my fort of ſilence to a Woman.
ref: 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 21:
text: Better to clear prime forests, heave and thump / A league of street in summer solstice down, / Than hammer at this reverend gentlewoman.
ref: 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part III”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 52:
text: The process of recording a transaction in the accounts begins with an entry in what is termed a book of prime entry.
ref: 2013, Ralph Denny, Accounts for Solicitors - Page 33:
synonyms: earliest
first
original
glosses: First in time, order, or sequence.
examples: text: This is a prime location for a bookstore.
text: Gemmen (says he), you all well know / The joy there is whene'er we meet; / It's what I call the primest go, / And rightly named, 'tis—'quite a treat,' […]
ref: 1820, Thomas Moore, W. Simpkin, R. Marshall, Jack Randall's Diary of Proceedings at the House of Call for Genius:
text: "Is it very pleasant to be there, Bob?" / "Prime," said the turnkey.
ref: 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “The Child of the Marshalsea”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC, book the first (Poverty), page 50:
text: Average cost, 10d. to 18. per lb. for the primest parts.
ref: 1861, Isabella Beeton, Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management:
synonyms: excellent
top quality
glosses: First in excellence, quality, or value.
examples: text: Thirteen is a prime number.
topics: mathematics
sciences
qualifier: lay
glosses: Having exactly two integral factors: itself and unity (1 in the case of integers).
topics: engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
technical
glosses: Such that if it divides a product, it divides one of the multiplicands.
topics: algebra
mathematics
sciences
glosses: Having its complement closed under multiplication.
raw_tags: of an ideal
topics: algebra
mathematics
sciences
glosses: Such that the annihilator of any nonzero submodule is equal to the annihilator of the whole module.
raw_tags: of a nonzero module
glosses: Marked or distinguished by the prime symbol.
examples: text: [...] His ſtarrie Helme unbuckl’d ſhew’d him prime / In Manhood where Youth ended ; by his ſide / As in a glittering Zodiac hung the Sword, / Satans dire dread, and in his hand the Spear.
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 245–248:
glosses: Early; blooming; being in the first stage.
examples: text: It is impoſſible you ſhould ſee this, / Were they as prime as Goates, as hot as Monkies, / As ſalt as Wolues, in pride; and fooles as groſſe / As ignorance made drunke: [...]
ref: c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 53:
glosses: Lecherous, lewd, lustful.
Synonyms: sense: having no nontrivial factors
word: indivisible
Hyponyms: word: biprime
word: pseudoprime
word: semiprime
sense: having exactly two integral factors
word: coprime
Derived terms: almost prime
book of prime entry
co-prime
essential prime implicant
in prime twig
non-essential prime implicant
prime constellation
prime contract
prime contractor
prime cost
prime-cut
prime cut
prime decomposition
prime directive
prime factor
prime factorisation
prime factorization
prime field
prime form
prime formula
prime gap
prime ideal
prime implicant
prime meridian
prime minister
prime ministerial
prime ministership
prime ministry
prime mover
prime number
prime-numbered
prime number theorem
prime rate
prime reciprocal magic square
prime rib
prime ring
prime subring
prime suspect
prime-time
prime time
pump-prime
relatively prime
sub-prime
twin prime pair