<p><strong>Adjective</strong></p><ul><li>of the first importance; demanding the fullest consideration: a prime requisite</li><li>primary</li><li>of the greatest relevance or significance: a prime example</li><li>of the highest eminence or rank: the prime authority on Chaucer</li><li>of the greatest commercial value: prime building lots</li><li>first-rate: This ale is prime!</li><li>(of meat, especially of beef) noting or pertaining to the first grade or best quality: prime ribs of beef</li><li>first in order of time, existence, or development; earliest; primitive</li><li>basic; fundamental: the prime axioms of his philosophy</li><li>Mathematics: (of any two or more numbers) having no common divisor except unity: The number 2 is prime to 9</li></ul><p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>the most flourishing stage or state</li><li>the time of early manhood or womanhood: the prime of youth</li><li>the period or state of greatest perfection or vigor of human life: a man in his prime</li><li>the choicest or best part of anything</li><li>(especially in the grading of U.S. beef) a grade, classification, or designation indicating the highest or most desirable quality</li><li>the beginning or earliest stage of any period</li><li>the spring of the year</li><li>the first hour or period of the day, after sunrise</li><li>Banking: prime rate</li><li>Ecclesiastical: the second of the seven canonical hours or the service for it, originally fixed for the first hour of the day</li><li>Mathematics: prime number</li><li>one of the equal parts into which a unit is primarily divided</li><li>the mark (′) indicating such a division: a, a′</li><li>Fencing: the first of eight defensive positions</li><li>Music: unison (+ def 2)</li><li>(in a scale) the tonic or keynote</li><li>Linguistics: any basic, indivisible unit used in linguistic analysis</li><li>Metallurgy: a piece of tin plate free from visible defects</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) primed, prim·ing: to prepare or make ready for a particular purpose or operation</li><li>to supply (a firearm) with powder for communicating fire to a charge</li><li>to lay a train of powder to (a charge, mine, etc.)</li><li>to pour or admit liquid into (a pump) to expel air and prepare for action</li><li>to put fuel into (a carburetor) before starting an engine, in order to insure a sufficiently rich mixture at the start</li><li>to cover (a surface) with a preparatory coat or color, as in painting</li><li>to supply or equip with information, words, etc., for use: The politician was primed by his aides for the press conference</li><li>to harvest the bottom leaves from (a tobacco plant)</li><li>(used without object) primed, prim·ing: (of a boiler) to deliver or discharge steam containing an excessive amount of water</li><li>to harvest the bottom leaves from a tobacco plant</li></ul>