| 释义 |
prime
I. \ˈprīm\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English prīm, from Latin prima (hora) first hour, from prima, feminine of primus first + hora hour — more at hour
1.
a. often capitalized : a religious office constituting the first of the daytime canonical hours — compare laud, matins
b. : the first hour of the day usually considered either as 6 a.m. or the hour of sunrise
2.
a. : the beginning or earliest stage of something : the first part or age
< saurians of the prime — Henry Adams >
b. : spring
< the prime of the year >
c. : the spring of life : youth
< in her prime, pretty as a lamb, a laughing girl — A.E.Coppard >
3.
a. : the most active, thriving, or successful stage of something
< patent medicines were in their prime — Thérèse S. Westermeier >
< the prime of his musical career — Terry de Valera >
b. : the period of greatest vigor and productivity in a person's life
< these two home-run sluggers, who were tremendous crowd pullers in their prime — Collier's Year Book >
4.
a. : the chief or best individual of a group
< prime of the flock, and choicest of the stall — Alexander Pope >
b. : the best part of something
< give him always of the prime — Jonathan Swift >
c. : an export grade of yellow pine lumber of very high quality that is free from defects and largely heartwood
d. : sheet metal products of the highest commercial quality
5. : prime number
6.
a. : primero
b. : the second-highest hand in primero and related games consisting of one card of each suit
c. : a block in backgammon formed by a series of six closed points
7. : a parry in fencing defending the upper inside target in which the hand is to the left at head height in a position of pronation with the point of the blade directed downward and the forearm is across the body parallel to the ground — called also first; compare quarte
8.
a. : the first note or tone of a musical scale : tonic
b. : a tone represented by the same staff degree as a given tone
c. : the pitch relation between two such musical notes or tones or their simultaneous combination
d. : prime tone
9. : a symbol or accent ′ suffixed in writing or printing to distinguish one character from a related character (as a′ from a or from a″), to indicate a relative unit (as a minute of angle or a foot), or to differentiate a mathematical function — compare double prime
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, feminine of prin prime, from Latin primus; akin to Latin prior former, prior — more at prior
1.
a. : first in order of time : original, primitive
< high heaven and earth ail from the prime foundation — A.E.Housman >
b. : having the vigor and freshness of youth : youthful
< our manhood's prime vigor — Robert Browning >
2.
a.
(1) : of, relating to, or constituting a prime number
(2) : having no common integral divisor greater than 1
< 12 is prime to 25 >
< 12 and 25 are relatively prime >
b.
(1) of a polynomial : not factorable
(2) : having no common polynomial divisors with coefficients in the same field other than constants
< these two polynomials are relatively prime >
3. obsolete : lecherous, lustful
< as prime as goats — Shakespeare >
4.
a. : first in rank or authority : chief, leading
< made you the prime man of the state — Shakespeare >
b. : first in significance or urgency : principal
< a prime requisite >
< a prime example >
< a prime need >
c.
(1) : first in excellence or importance : having the highest quality or value
< a prime new plow — M.A.Hancock >
< prime farming land — J.D.Adams >
< a prime fish >
< prime television time >
(2) : of the highest grade — used of meat, especially beef; compare choice, commercial, good 1f(5)
(3) : being in the best condition — used especially of fur skins and hides
< when the deer hides are prime — Farley Mowat >
d. : having the highest credit rating
< prime borrowers >
< prime commercial loans >
5. : not deriving from something else : primary
< the prime postulate of his philosophy >
III. adverb
Etymology: prime (II)
: primely
IV. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: probably from prime (I)
transitive verb
1. : fill, load
< primed the lamp with oil >
< came to these encounters well primed with wine — J.B.Cabell >
2. : to prepare for firing by supplying with priming or a primer
< prime a cannon >
< prime a mine >
3.
a. : to lay the first color, coating, or preparation upon
< primed the wall with white paint >
< an undercoater for sealing and priming inside surfaces — Wall Street Journal >
b. archaic : to put cosmetics on : make up
< every morning primes her face — John Oldham >
4. : to put into working order by filling or charging with something: as
a. : to pour water into the barrel or bucket of (a pump)
b. : to pour gasoline into the carburetor of (an engine)
c. : to impart a charge of static electricity to one armature of (an induction electric machine)
5.
a. : to instruct beforehand : coach
< primed the witness >
b. : to make ready : prepare
< keeping their eyes primed, their cameras ready — Barbara B. Jamison >
< a livestock dipping vat was primed with a fresh solution — F.B.Gipson >
6. : to harvest (tobacco) by picking the leaves a few at a time as they ripen
7. : stimulate
< loses money in attempting to prime the sugarcane industry — Sidney Shalett >
intransitive verb
1. archaic : to assume precedence : domineer
2. : to operate so that steam is liberated in small portions with the result that fine water particles are entrained with and carried over by steam
3. : to have a shortened tide day
4. : to become prime
< the hides were priming towards winter, heavy and well-furred — Mari Sandox >
•
- prime the pump
V. noun
(-s)
: the priming of a gun
VI. intransitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: origin unknown
of a fish : to leap from the water |