primer

== English == === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪ.mə/, enPR: prīʹmə (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪm.əɹ/, enPR: prĭmʹər (US, irregular, but common; borrowed from Etymology 2) IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪməɹ/, enPR: prīʹmər Rhymes: -aɪmə(ɹ), -ɪmə(ɹ) Homophone: primmer ==== Noun ==== primer (plural primers) (historical, Catholicism ecclesiastical) 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. Synonyms: book of hours, prayer book (historical, Protestantism ecclesiastical) Any of various similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer. A children's book intended to teach literacy: how to read, write, and spell. An introductory text on any subject, particularly basic concepts. (New Zealand, obsolete) An elementary school class; an elementary school student. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From prime + -er. ==== Pronunciation ==== (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪ.mə(ɹ)/, enPR: prīʹmə (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪmɚ/, enPR: prīmʹə Rhymes: -aɪmə(ɹ) ==== Noun ==== primer (countable and uncountable, plural primers) Any substance or device, such as priming wire or blasting cap, used to ignite gunpowder or other explosive. (obsolete) A person who primes explosives. A substance used to prime wood, metal, etc. in preparation for painting. A layer of such a substance. A layer of makeup that goes beneath the foundation; undermakeup. (obsolete) A person who primes wood, metal, etc. (biochemistry, genetics) A molecule which initiates the synthesis of an enzyme, (especially) a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule which initiates DNA replication. (medicine, zoology) A pheromone which interacts first with the endocrine system. A device used to prime an internal combustion engine with gasoline, (especially) in airplanes. A person who prunes trees. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== primary prime ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === From Anglo-Norman primer (“first”), from Latin prīmārius (“first”). ==== Adjective ==== primer (not comparable) (obsolete) First in time, initial, early. (obsolete) First in importance, premier. (obsolete, rare) First in position, foremost. ===== Derived terms ===== primer fine primer seizin === Further reading === Prime, Primer and Priming in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) == Catalan == === Etymology === Inherited from Old Catalan primer, from Latin prīmārius. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern) [pɾiˈme̞] IPA(key): (Balearic, Central, Northwestern) [pɾiˈme] IPA(key): (Valencia) [pɾiˈmeɾ] Rhymes: -e(ɾ) === Adjective === primer (feminine primera, masculine plural primers, feminine plural primeres) (ordinal number) first (mathematics) prime (having no divisor except itself and 1): ==== Derived terms ==== === Adverb === primer first; before anything else === References === “primer”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “primer”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pʁi.me/ === Verb === primer to dominate, to be dominant over to win (a prize) to prevail, take precedent ==== Conjugation ==== === Further reading === “primer”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Hungarian == === Etymology === From German primär, from French primaire, from Latin primarius. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈprimɛr] Hyphenation: pri‧mer Rhymes: -ɛr === Adjective === primer (comparative primerebb, superlative legprimerebb) primary primer feszültség ― primary voltage ==== Declension ==== === References === === Further reading === primer in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN. == Indonesian == === Etymology === From Dutch primair, from French primaire, from Latin prīmārius. === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈprimɛr/ [ˈpri.mɛr] Rhymes: -imɛr Syllabification: pri‧mer === Adjective === primèr (comparative lebih primer, superlative paling primer) primary: first or earliest in a group or series main; principal; chief; placed ahead of others ==== Alternative forms ==== primair (law) === Further reading === “primer”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Old French == === Adjective === primer m (oblique and nominative feminine singular primere) alternative form of premier === Adverb === primer alternative form of premier === Noun === primer oblique singular, m (oblique plural primers, nominative singular primers, nominative plural primer) alternative form of premier (Anglo-Norman) primer (hymn book) === References === primer on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English primer. === Pronunciation === === Noun === primer m primer (layer of makeup) === Further reading === Primer (maquiagem) on the Portuguese Wikipedia.Wikipedia pt == Serbo-Croatian == === Alternative forms === prímjer (Ijekavian) === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /prǐːmer/ Hyphenation: pri‧mer === Noun === prímer m inan (Cyrillic spelling при́мер) example, instance model, paragon precedence ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== == Slovene == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /priméːr/ === Noun === primẹ̑r m inan example (something representative of a group) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== na prímer == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /pɾiˈmeɾ/ [pɾiˈmeɾ] Rhymes: -eɾ Syllabification: pri‧mer === Adjective === primer m (apocopate, standard form primero) (before the noun) apocopic form of primero (first) el primer hijo ― the first child (informal, proscribed) apocopic form of primera (first) ==== Usage notes ==== The form primer is only used before and within the noun phrase of a modified masculine singular noun. In other positions, the standard form primero is used instead. === Further reading === “primer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025