primer

1
[ prim-er or, especially British, prahy-mer ]
See synonyms for primer on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.

  2. any book of elementary principles: a primer of phonetics.

Origin of primer

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Medieval Latin prīmārium, noun use of neuter of prīmāriusprimary

Words Nearby primer

Other definitions for primer (2 of 2)

primer2
[ prahy-mer ]

noun
  1. a person or thing that primes.

  2. a cap, cylinder, etc., containing a compound that may be exploded by percussion or other means, used for firing a charge of powder.

  1. a first coat or layer of paint, size, etc., given to any surface as a base, sealer, or the like.

Origin of primer

2
1490–1500; prime (v.) + -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use primer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for primer (1 of 2)

primer1

/ (ˈpraɪmə) /


noun
  1. an introductory text, such as a school textbook

Origin of primer

1
C14: via Anglo-Norman from Medieval Latin primārius (liber) a first (book), from Latin prīmārius primary

British Dictionary definitions for primer (2 of 2)

primer2

/ (ˈpraɪmə) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that primes

  2. a device, such as a tube containing explosive, for detonating the main charge in a gun, mine, etc

  1. a substance, such as paint, applied to a surface as a base, sealer, etc

Origin of primer

2
C15: see prime (vb)
  • Also called (for senses 2, 3): priming

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012