English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: prīʹmə, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪ.mə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: prĭmʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɪ.mɚ/
• (US) also: enPR: prīmʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪmɚ/
• Rhymes: -aɪmə(ɹ), -ɪmə(ɹ)

Noun

primer ‎(plural primers)

1. (historical, Catholic 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.
2. (historical, Protestant ecclesiastical) Similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer.
3. A children's book intended to teach literacy: how to read, write, and spell.

   1545, The A.B.C. Primers

4. An introductory text on any subject, particularly basic concepts.
5. (New Zealand) An elementary school class; an elementary school student.

Synonyms

• (devotional book): book of hours, prayer book

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

prime +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: prīʹmə, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪ.mə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: prīmʹə, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹaɪmɚ/
• Rhymes: -aɪmə(ɹ)

Noun

primer ‎(plural primers)

1. Any substance or device used to ignite a fire, (chiefly) any priming wire, blasting cap, or other device used to ignite gunpowder or other explosive.
2. (obsolete, rare) A person who primes explosives.
3. Any substance used to prime wood, metal, etc.
4. A layer of such a substance.
5. (obsolete, rare) A person who primes wood, metal, etc.
6. (biology) A molecule which initiates the synthesis of an enzyme, (chiefly) a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule which initiates DNA replication.
7. (medicine, zoology) A pheromone which interacts first with the endocrine system.
8. A device used to prime an internal combustion engine with gasoline, (chiefly) in airplanes.
9. A person who prunes trees.

Related terms

• primary
• prime

Translations

Etymology 3

From Anglo-Norman primer ‎(“first”), from Latin prīmārius ‎(“first”)

Adjective

primer ‎(not comparable)

1. (obsolete) First in time, initial, early.
   • Drayton

     the primer English kings

2. (obsolete) First in importance, premier.
3. (obsolete, rare) First in position, foremost.

Derived terms

• primer fine
• primer seizin

Catalan

Etymology

From Old Provençal [Term?], from Latin prīmārius.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /pɾiˈme/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /pɾiˈme/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /pɾiˈmeɾ/
• Rhymes: -e(ɾ)

Adjective

primer m ‎(feminine primera, masculine plural primers, feminine plural primeres)

1. (ordinal) first
2. (mathematics) prime (having no divisor except itself and 1):

Usage notes

When primer is the ordinal number of a century or of a regnal name of a monarch or pope, it is written using Roman numerals following the noun. Thus Joan Primer is written Joan I.

For most fractional numbers, the ordinal number is used to indicate the denominator of the fraction. Since 1 is never the denominator of a proper fraction, primer is not normally used to form fractions. Exceptions to this rule include mig ‎(“half”), terç ‎(“third”), quarter ‎(“quarter”), milionèsim ‎(“millionth”), bilionèsim ‎(“billionth”), ....

The feminine form of the ordinal is usually used as the collective noun for a set of like objects of that size. Primera is not used for a set of 1, nor is there is any other term for the concept Exceptions to the usual rule include parell ‎(“set of 2”), qüern ‎(“set of 4”), centenar ‎(“set of 100”), grossa ‎(“set of 144”), miler ‎(“set of 1000”), and milenar ‎(“1000”).

Adverb

primer

1. first; before anything else

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁi.me/

Verb

primer

1. to dominate, to be dominant over
2. to win (a prize)
3. to prevail, take precedent

Conjugation

Hungarian

Etymology

From German primär, from French primaire, from Latin primarius.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈprimɛr]
• Hyphenation: pri‧mer

Adjective

primer (comparative primerebb, superlative legprimerebb)

1. primary

   primer feszültség‎ ― primary voltage

Declension

References

1. ↑ Tótfalusi István, Idegenszó-tár: Idegen szavak értelmező és etimológiai szótára. Tinta Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 2005, ISBN 963 7094 20 2

Old French

Adjective

primer m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular primere)

1. Alternative form of premier

Adverb

primer

1. Alternative form of premier

Noun

primer m ‎(oblique plural primers, nominative singular primers, nominative plural primer)

1. Alternative form of premier
2. (Anglo-Norman) primer (hymn book)

References

• primer on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• (Ijekavian): prímjer

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /prǐːmer/
• Hyphenation: pri‧mer

Noun

prímer m ‎(Cyrillic spelling при́мер)

1. example, instance
2. model, paragon
3. precedence

Declension

Derived terms

Slovene

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /priˈméːr/
• Tonal orthography: primẹ̑r

Noun

primér m inan ‎(genitive priméra, nominative plural priméri)

1. example (something representative of a group)

Declension

Derived terms

• na prímer

Spanish

Adjective

primer m ‎(apocopate, standard form primero)

1. (before the noun) apocopic form of primero (first)

   El primer hijo - “the first child”

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.