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 |