Priggish Prig"gish adjective Like a prig; conceited; pragmatical. -- Prig"gish*ly , adverb -- Prig"gish-ness , noun

Priggism Prig"gism noun 1. The quality or state of being priggish; the manners of a prig. Ed. Rev.

2. Roguery; thievery. [ Obsolete] Fielding.

Prighte Prigh"te obsolete imperfect of Prick . Chaucer.

Prill Prill noun [ Confer Brill .] (Zoology) The brill.

Prill Prill intransitive verb To flow. [ Obsolete] Stow.

Prill Prill noun A stream. [ Obsolete] Davies (Microcosmos).

Prill Prill noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] 1. (Mining) (a) A nugget of virgin metal. (b) Ore selected for excellence.

2. The button of metal from an assay.

Prillion Pril"lion noun Tin extracted from the slag.

Prim Prim noun [ See Privet .] (Bot) The privet.

Prim Prim adjective [ Old French prim , prin , prime, first, principal. sharp, thin, piercing, from Latin primus first. See Prime , adjective ] Formal; precise; affectedly neat or nice; as, prim regularity; a prim person. Swift.

Prim Prim transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Primmed ; present participle & verbal noun Primming .] To deck with great nicety; to arrange with affected preciseness; to prink.

Prim Prim intransitive verb To dress or act smartly. [ R.]

Prima donna Pri"ma don"na ; plural English Prima donnas , Italian Prime Donne . [ Italian , from primo , prima , the first + donna lady, mistress. See Prime , adjective , and Donna .] The first or chief female singer in an opera.

Prima facie Pri"ma fa"ci·e [ Latin , from abl. of primus first + abl. of facies appearance.] At first view; on the first appearance.

Prima facie evidence (of a fact) (Law) , evidence which is sufficient to establish the fact unless rebutted. Bouvier.

Primacy Pri"ma·cy noun [ Late Latin primatia , from Latin primas , -atis , one of the first or principal, chief, from primus first: confer French primatie . See Prime , adjective ] 1. The state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc., hence, excellency; supremacy. [ R.] De Quincey.

2. The office, rank, or character of a primate; the chief ecclesiastical station or dignity in a national church; the office or dignity of an archbishop; as, the primacy of England.

Primage Pri"mage noun [ French] (Com.) A charge in addition to the freight; originally, a gratuity to the captain for his particular care of the goods (sometimes called hat money ), but now belonging to the owners or freighters of the vessel, unless by special agreement the whole or part is assigned to the captain. Homans.

Primal Pri"mal adjective [ Late Latin primalis , from Latin primus the first. See Prime , adjective ] First; primary; original; chief.

It hath the primal eldest curse upon it.

Shak.

The primal duties shine aloft like stars.

Wordsworth.

Primality Pri·mal"i·ty noun The quality or state of being primal. [ Obsolete]

Primarily Pri"ma·ri·ly adverb In a primary manner; in the first place; in the first place; in the first intention; originally.

Primariness Pri"ma·ri·ness noun The quality or state of being primary, or first in time, in act, or in intention. Norris.

Primary Pri"ma·ry adjective [ Latin primarius , from primus first: confer French primaire . See Prime , adjective , and confer Premier , Primero .] 1. First in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original.

The church of Christ, in its primary institution.

Bp. Pearson.

These I call original, or primary , qualities of body.

Locke.

2. First in order, as being preparatory to something higher; as, primary assemblies; primary schools.

3. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary importance.

4. (Geol.) Earliest formed; fundamental.

5. (Chemistry) Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.

Primary alcohol (Organic Chem.) , any alcohol which possess the group CH ₂ .OH, and can be oxidized so as to form a corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number of carbon atoms; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary alcohols . -- Primary amine (Chemistry) , an amine containing the amido group, or a derivative of ammonia in which only one atom of hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary amines . -- Primary amputation (Surg.) , an amputation for injury performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has passed away, and before symptoms of inflammation supervene. -- Primary axis (Botany) , the main stalk which bears a whole cluster of flowers. -- Primary colors . See under Color . -- Primary meeting , a meeting of citizens at which the first steps are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc. See Caucus . -- Primary pinna (Botany) , one of those portions of a compound leaf or frond which branch off directly from the main rhachis or stem, whether simple or compounded. -- Primary planets . (Astron.) See the Note under Planet . -- Primary qualities of bodies , such are essential to and inseparable from them. -- Primary quills (Zoology) , the largest feathers of the wing of a bird; primaries. -- Primary rocks (Geol.) , a term early used for rocks supposed to have been first formed, being crystalline and containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.; -- called also primitive rocks . The terms Secondary , Tertiary , and Quaternary rocks have also been used in like manner, but of these the last two only are now in use. -- Primary salt (Chemistry) , a salt derived from a polybasic acid in which only one acid hydrogen atom has been replaced by a base or basic radical. -- Primary syphilis (Medicine) , the initial stage of syphilis, including the period from the development of the original lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms indicative of general constitutional infection. -- Primary union (Surg.) , union without suppuration; union by the first intention.

Primary Pri"ma·ry noun ; plural Primaries 1. That which stands first in order, rank, or importance; a chief matter.

2. A primary meeting; a caucus.

3. (Zoology) One of the large feathers on the distal joint of a bird's wing. See Plumage , and Illust. of Bird .

4. (Astron.) A primary planet; the brighter component of a double star. See under Planet .

Primate Pri"mate noun [ Middle English primat , French primat , Latin primas , -atis one of the first, chief, from primus the first. See Prime , adjective ] 1. The chief ecclesiastic in a national church; one who presides over other bishops in a province; an archbishop.

2. (Zoology) One of the Primates.

Primates Pri·ma"tes noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) The highest order of mammals. It includes man, together with the apes and monkeys. Confer Pitheci .

Primateship Pri"mate·ship noun The office, dignity, or position of a primate; primacy.

Primatial Pri·ma"tial adjective [ Confer French primatial .] Primatical. [ R.] D'Anville (Trans. ).

Primatical Pri·mat"ic·al adjective Of or pertaining to a primate. Barrow.

Prime Prime adjective [ French, from Latin primus first, a superl. corresponding to the compar. prior former. See Prior , adjective , Foremost , Former , and confer Prim , adjective , Primary , Prince .] 1. First in order of time; original; primeval; primitive; primary. " Prime forests." Tennyson.

She was not the prime cause, but I myself.

Milton.

» In this sense the word is nearly superseded by primitive , except in the phrase prime cost .

2. First in rank, degree, dignity, authority, or importance; as, prime minister. " Prime virtues." Dryden.

3. First in excellence; of highest quality; as, prime wheat; a prime quality of cloth.

4. Early; blooming; being in the first stage. [ Poetic]

His starry helm, unbuckled, showed him prime
In manhood where youth ended.

Milton.

5. Lecherous; lustful; lewd. [ Obsolete] Shak.

6. Marked or distinguished by a mark (′) called a prime mark .

Prime and ultimate ratio . (Math.) . See Ultimate . -- Prime conductor . (Electricity) See under Conductor . -- Prime factor (Arith.) , a factor which is a prime number. -- Prime figure (Geom.) , a figure which can not be divided into any other figure more simple than itself, as a triangle, a pyramid, etc. -- Prime meridian (Astron.) , the meridian from which longitude is reckoned, as the meridian of Greenwich or Washington. -- Prime minister , the responsible head of a ministry or executive government; applied particularly to that of England. -- Prime mover . (Mech.) (a) A natural agency applied by man to the production of power. Especially: Muscular force; the weight and motion of fluids, as water and air; heat obtained by chemical combination, and applied to produce changes in the volume and pressure of steam, air, or other fluids; and electricity, obtained by chemical action, and applied to produce alternation of magnetic force. (b) An engine, or machine, the object of which is to receive and modify force and motion as supplied by some natural source, and apply them to drive other machines; as a water wheel, a water-pressure engine, a steam engine, a hot-air engine, etc. (c) Fig.: The original or the most effective force in any undertaking or work; as, Clarkson was the prime mover in English antislavery agitation. -- Prime number (Arith.) , a number which is exactly divisible by no number except itself or unity, as 5, 7, 11. -- Prime vertical (Astron.) , the vertical circle which passes through the east and west points of the horizon. -- Prime-vertical dial , a dial in which the shadow is projected on the plane of the prime vertical. -- Prime-vertical transit instrument , a transit instrument the telescope of which revolves in the plane of the prime vertical, -- used for observing the transit of stars over this circle.

Prime Prime noun 1. The first part; the earliest stage; the beginning or opening, as of the day, the year, etc.; hence, the dawn; the spring. Chaucer.

In the very prime of the world.

Hooker.

Hope waits upon the flowery prime .

Waller.

2. The spring of life; youth; hence, full health, strength, or beauty; perfection. "Cut off in their prime ." Eustace. "The prime of youth." Dryden.

3. That which is first in quantity; the most excellent portion; the best part.

Give him always of the prime .

Swift.

4. [ French prime , Late Latin prima (sc. hora ). See Prime , adjective ] The morning; specifically (R. C. Ch.) , the first canonical hour, succeeding to lauds.

Early and late it rung, at evening and at prime .

Spenser.

» Originally, prime denoted the first quarter of the artificial day, reckoned from 6 adjective m. to 6 p. m. Afterwards, it denoted the end of the first quarter, that is, 9 adjective m. Specifically, it denoted the first canonical hour, as now. Chaucer uses it in all these senses, and also in the sense of def. 1, above.

They sleep till that it was pryme large.

Chaucer.

5. (Fencing) The first of the chief guards.

6. (Chemistry) Any number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; -- so called because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1. [ Obsolete or Archaic]

7. (Arith.) A prime number. See under Prime , adjective

8. An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system; -- denoted by [ ′]. See 2d Inch , noun , 1.

Prime of the moon , the new moon at its first appearance.

Prime Prime transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Primed ; present participle & verbal noun Priming .] [ From Prime , adjective ] 1. To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon; to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge.

2. To lay the first color, coating, or preparation upon (a surface), as in painting; as, to prime a canvas, a wall.

3. To prepare; to make ready; to instruct beforehand; to post; to coach; as, to prime a witness; the boys are primed for mischief. [ Colloq.] Thackeray.

4. To trim or prune, as trees. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

5. (Math.) To mark with a prime mark.

To prime a pump , to charge a pump with water, in order to put it in working condition.

Prime Prime intransitive verb 1. To be renewed, or as at first. [ Obsolete]

Night's bashful empress, though she often wane,
As oft repeats her darkness, primes again.

Quarles.

2. To serve as priming for the charge of a gun.

3. To work so that foaming occurs from too violent ebullition, which causes water to become mixed with, and be carried along with, the steam that is formed; -- said of a steam boiler.

Prime Prime adjective (Math.) (a) Divisible by no number except itself or unity; as, 7 is a prime number. (b) Having no common factor; -- used with to ; as, 12 is prime to 25.

Primely Prime"ly adverb 1. At first; primarily. [ Obsolete] South.

2. In a prime manner; excellently.

Primeness Prime"ness noun 1. The quality or state of being first.

2. The quality or state of being prime, or excellent.

Primer Prim"er noun One who, or that which, primes ; specifically, an instrument or device for priming; esp., a cap, tube, or water containing percussion powder or other compound for igniting a charge of gunpowder.

Primer Prim"er adjective [ Old French primer , primier , premier , French premier . See Premier .] First; original; primary. [ Obsolete] "The primer English kings." Drayton.

Primer fine (O. Eng. Law) , a fine due to the king on the writ or commencement of a suit by fine. Blackstone. -- Primer seizin (Feudal Law) , the right of the king, when a tenant in capite died seized of a knight's fee, to receive of the heir, if of full age, one year's profits of the land if in possession, and half a year's profits if the land was in reversion expectant on an estate for life; -- now abolished. Blackstone.

Primer Prim"er noun [ Originally, the book read at prime , the first canonical hour. Late Latin primae liber . See Prime , noun , 4.] 1. Originally, a small prayer book for church service, containing the little office of the Virgin Mary; also, a work of elementary religious instruction.

The primer , or office of the Blessed Virgin.

Bp. Stillingfleet.

2. A small elementary book for teaching children to read; a reading or spelling book for a beginner.

As he sat in the school at his prymer .

Chaucer.

3. (Print.) A kind of type, of which there are two species; one, called long primer , intermediate in size between bourgeois and small pica [ see Long primer ]; the other, called great primer , larger than pica.

Great primer type.

Primero Pri·me"ro noun [ Spanish primera , from primero first, from Latin primarius . See Premier .] A game at cards, now unknown. Shak.

Primerole Prim"er·ole noun (Botany) See Primrose . [ Obsolete] "She was a primerole ." Chaucer.

Primeval Pri·me"val adjective [ Latin primaevus ; primus first + aevum age. See Prime , adjective , and Age .] Belonging to the first ages; pristine; original; primitive; primary; as, the primeval innocence of man. "This is the forest primeval ." Longfellow.

From chaos, and primeval darkness, came Light.

Keats.

Primevally Pri·me"val·ly adverb In a primeval manner; in or from the earliest times; originally. Darwin.

Primevous Pri·me"vous adjective Primeval. [ Obsolete]

Primigenial Pri`mi·ge"ni·al adjective First born, or first of all; original; primary. See Primogenial .

Primigenious, Primigenous Pri`mi·ge"ni·ous, Pri·mig"e·nous adjective [ Latin primigenus , primigenius . See Primogeniture .] First formed or generated; original; primigenial. Bp. Hall.

Primine Pri"mine noun [ Latin primus first: confer French primine .] (Botany) The outermost of the two integuments of an ovule.

» This word has been used by some writers to denote the inner integument, which is formed earlier than the outer. Confer Secundine .

Priming Prim"ing noun 1. The powder or other combustible used to communicate fire to a charge of gunpowder, as in a firearm.

2. (Paint.) The first coating of color, size, or the like, laid on canvas, or on a building, or other surface.

3. (Steam Eng.) The carrying over of water, with the steam, from the boiler, as into the cylinder.

Priming of the tide . See Lag of the tide , under 2d Lag . -- Priming tube , a small pipe, filled with a combustible composition for firing cannon. -- Priming valve (Steam Eng.) , a spring safety valve applied to the cylinder of a steam engine for discharging water carried into the cylinder by priming. -- Priming wire , a pointed wire used to penetrate the vent of a piece, for piercing the cartridge before priming.

Primipara Pri·mip"a·ra noun [ Latin , from primus first + parere to bring forth.] (Medicine) A woman who bears a child for the first time.

Primiparous Pri·mip"a·rous adjective [ See Primipara .] Belonging to a first birth; bearing young for the first time.

Primipilar Pri·mip"i·lar adjective [ Latin primipilaris , from primipilus the centurion of the first cohort of a Roman legion, from primus pilus the division made up of the triarii in the Roman army.] Of or pertaining to the captain of the vanguard of a Roman army. Barrow.

Primitia Pri·mi"ti·a noun ; plural Primitiĉ ( Primitias , obsolete ). [ Latin primitiae , plural, from primus first. Confer Premices .] (Eng. Law) The first fruit; the first year's whole profit of an ecclesiastical preferment.

The primitias of your parsonage.

Spenser.

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