primer

1 of 2

noun (1)

prim·​er ˈpri-mər How to pronounce primer (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈprī-mə
1
: a small book for teaching children to read
2
: a small introductory book on a subject
3
: a short informative piece of writing

primer

2 of 2

noun (2)

prim·​er ˈprī-mər How to pronounce primer (audio)
1
: a device for priming
especially : a cap, tube, or wafer containing percussion powder or compound used to ignite an explosive charge
2
: material used in priming a surface

called also prime coat

3
: a molecule (such as a short strand of RNA or DNA) whose presence is required for formation of another molecule (such as a longer chain of DNA)

Did you know?

Primers were once a standard part of every child's education. The first primer printed in North America, The New England Primer (ca. 1690), was typical; it contained many quotations from the Bible and many moral lessons, and the text was accompanied by numerous woodcut illustrations. We no longer use the word in early education, but it's widely used in everyday speech. Notice how primer is pronounced; don't mix it up with the kind of paint that's pronounced with a long *i *sound.

Examples of primer in a Sentence

Noun (1) a primer of human anatomy
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So for instance, one character would have to apply the Overwhelmed debuff on an enemy as a primer in order to be detonated by another character that can detonate Overwhelmed enemies. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The product’s bottle says that it can be applied over or under makeup, but my mom and I both prefer to use it as a glowy primer, either alone as a light skin tint or under a fuller-coverage foundation. Cai Cramer, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024 With his wife Miriam Lacob, Stix is co-author of a technology primer called Who Gives a Gigabyte? Gary Stix, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024 As a primer of sorts, Gordon’s game plan included having the youngsters create illustrations and mood boards by making collages, showing them how to create their own style using mood boards. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for primer 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, "layperson's prayer book," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin prīmārius, prīmārium, noun derivatives from masculine and neuter of prīmārius "lying at the beginning, primary entry 1"

Noun (2)

prime entry 3 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of primer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near primer

Cite this Entry

“Primer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primer. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

primer

1 of 2 noun
prim·​er ˈprim-ər How to pronounce primer (audio)
 especially British  ˈprī-mər
1
: a small book for teaching children to read
2
: a book that introduces a subject
a primer of chemistry
3
: a short informative piece of writing
a primer on healthy eating

primer

2 of 2 noun
prim·​er ˈprī-mər How to pronounce primer (audio)
1
: a device (as a cap or tube) containing a small explosive charge that is used for setting off a larger explosive charge (as in a cartridge)
2
: material used in priming a surface

Medical Definition

primer

noun
prim·​er ˈprī-mər How to pronounce primer (audio)
: a molecule (as a short strand of RNA or DNA) whose presence is required for formation of another molecule (as a longer chain of DNA)

More from Merriam-Webster on primer

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