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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prime cost

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

They have the great elements, fuel, freight capacity, and prime cost in their favor.

From Ocean Steam Navigation and the Ocean Post by Thomas Rainey

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 Charles James Lever

Now, the Shops begin to shine out with their new Winter wares; though as yet the chief profits of their owners depend on disposing of the “Summer stock” at fifty per cent. under prime cost.

From Mirror of the Months by Peter George Patmore

The prime cost of a ropeway is usually moderate, though of course it varies with the ground and other local conditions.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 3 "Convention" to "Copyright" by Various

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