noun
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something used to prime
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a substance, used to ignite an explosive charge
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of priming
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their regular season consists of priming pitchers for October, not padding their resumes for awards.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
As Barron’s wrote last November, the company has been priming investors for the loss of Apple’s sales for years, and it may already be factored into the stock price.
From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026
Taken together, these two lines of research—the broad immune priming revealed by Covid mRNA vaccines and the precision targeting achieved by cancer-specific mRNA therapies—are beginning to converge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025
The existence of Mas'ud's alleged confession was first revealed in 2020, when the US announced it was charging him with building and priming the bomb used on Pan Am 103.
From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025
“I don’t like it either. God, I hate it! That woman is priming herself for a nervous breakdown. I just hope she doesn’t have it while I’m here.”
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
