primer

¹ American  

[prim-er, prahy-mer] / ˈprɪm ər, ˈpraɪ mər /

noun

1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.

2. any book of elementary principles.

   a primer of phonetics.

3. great primer.

4. long primer.

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primer ² American  

[prahy-mer] / ˈpraɪ mər /

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.

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

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primer ¹ British  

/ 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

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

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primer ² British  

/ ˈpraɪmə /

noun

1. an introductory text, such as a school textbook

2. printing See long primer great primer

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Etymology

Origin of primer¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin prīmārium, noun use of neuter of prīmārius primary

Origin of primer²

1490–1500; prime (v.) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Mrie’s memoir is a useful primer, if hardly the last word, on the complexities of the civil war and the shortcomings of the rebel forces.

From Los Angeles Times

And they give us another book, Venceremos, a primer for the students.

From Literature

Senate in 2002, for a primer on the Fourth Amendment, and what the changes in the ICE memo mean.

From Salon

Director Raoul Peck, a consistently sharp exfoliator of tricky subjects, turns his movie into both a historical primer of the author’s eventful life and a guide to recognizing tomorrow’s fascists.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, some 70 years later, almost half the Bruins roster needed a primer on what it means to play the Trojans.

From Los Angeles Times