great primer

American  

noun

Printing.

1. an 18-point type of a size larger than Columbian, formerly used for Bibles.

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great primer British  

noun

1. (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 18 point

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Etymology

Origin of great primer

First recorded in 1675–85

Example Sentences

It’s a great primer to learn about Mr. Landon’s love of the genre and his thought process when building a horror movie.

From Washington Times • Feb. 13, 2021

As a crash course in using “real” footage to tell a fake story, Fishing With John was a great primer for the wave of reality TV that followed.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2021

The mix is a great primer for her sound: tough, angular, clattering techno and bass music with a constant, addictive groove.

From The Guardian • Jul. 23, 2019

The book offers a great primer on Senate confirmations, beginning with John F. Kennedy’s nomination of Marshall to the U.S.

From Washington Post • Feb. 19, 2016

Body type, that is, those classes ever seen in ordinary print, aside from display and fancy styles, is in thirteen classes, the smallest technically called brilliant and the largest great primer.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 795, March 28, 1891 by Various