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

Explanation

A primer gets you ready for what comes next. You could use one kind of primer when you are learning to read, or another kind when you are preparing to paint a room. Any way you use the word primer, it's a first step or preparation for something else. There's primer you use before painting, and an engine primer that prepares a machine to be started. In these examples, primer rhymes with timer. When primer describes an introductory textbook, it rhymes with dimmer. In the 14th century, a primer was a prayer book. This word comes from primus, the Latin word for first.

Example Sentences

That process, to ensure a sturdy paint job, requires sending the frame through a massive, liquid-filled chamber, where it’s cleaned and coated in multiple layers of primer.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

In a 70-page primer released this week, Barclays analysts asserted that the next five years would be “pivotal from an investment perspective.”

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

His 2024 book, “Iran,” is the best primer available on the nation’s modern history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

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 • Feb. 24, 2026

A trick of the indirect light has made the graffiti letters float up through the coat of primer, a ghost-gray print I recognize immediately as Margo’s.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green