prime cost

American  

noun

1. that part of the cost of a commodity deriving from the labor and materials directly utilized in its manufacture.

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prime cost British  

noun

1. Also called: variable cost.  the portion of the cost of a commodity that varies directly with the amount of it produced, principally comprising materials and labour Compare overheads

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Etymology

Origin of prime cost

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

Labor is indeed a prime cost factor in an industry that has never been able to mechanize to any great extent.

From Time Magazine Archive

The prime cost of a dozen-case, each bottle containing about a quart, fitted with wooden divisions and packed with husks, chaff, or sawdust, is 3_s_.

From To The Gold Coast for Gold, Vol. II A Personal Narrative by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Bless your heart, I only spoil a stamp when I put my autograph across it; it would be worth prime cost till then.

From Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I by Lever, Charles James

These were a royal trade, and had been purchased by the king of Spain for three hundred thousand florins, prime cost, and by him were designed to be retailed for five millions.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 2, August, 1863 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various

A store was kept on the premises, in which articles were sold at prime cost, with an allowance for transportation, &c.

From History of American Socialisms by Noyes, John Humphrey