prime

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Most important; main.

   Our prime concern is the safety of the children.

2. 2
   adj

   Of the best quality or value.

   This is a prime location for a new restaurant.

3. 3
   adj

   Of a number that can only be divided by itself and one.

   Seven is a prime number.

4. 4
   verb

   To prepare something for use or action.

   They primed the wall before painting it.

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.

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