primer

1 of 2

noun (1)

prim·er ˈpri-mər

chiefly British ˈprī-mə

Synonyms of primer next

: a small book for teaching children to read

: a small introductory book on a subject

: a short informative piece of writing

primer

2 of 2

noun (2)

prim·er ˈprī-mər

: a device for priming

especially : a cap, tube, or wafer containing percussion powder or compound used to ignite an explosive charge

: material used in priming a surface

called also prime coat

: a molecule (such as a short strand of RNA or DNA) whose presence is required for formation of another molecule (such as a longer chain of DNA)

Did you know?

Primers were once a standard part of every child's education. The first primer printed in North America, The New England Primer (ca. 1690), was typical; it contained many quotations from the Bible and many moral lessons, and the text was accompanied by numerous woodcut illustrations. We no longer use the word in early education, but it's widely used in everyday speech. Notice how primer is pronounced; don't mix it up with the kind of paint that's pronounced with a long *i *sound.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Still, my favorite use has to be as a makeup primer and setting spray. —

Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2023 This 3-in-1 sunscreen, primer, and moisturizer will add the most beautiful glow to your skin and provide a really nice base for liquid, cream, or powder foundations. —

Daley Quinn, Health, 4 May 2023 This uses color correcting primer to neutralize and chamomile to combat skin sensitivity and redness. —

Catharine Malzahn, Good Housekeeping, 17 Mar. 2023 Here’s a primer on this weekend series: THE WEEK THAT WAS The Beavers continued their solid early-season play last week, taking three of four games at Cal Poly and easily winning a midweek matchup against San Diego. —

Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 10 Mar. 2023 Starting with this primer on how to monitor big-dollar investment bets, Variety will offer an a quarterly survey of how the media and entertainment sector is faring among the world’s most sophisticated stock pickers. —

Jennifer Maas, Variety, 8 Mar. 2023 Nico Therin Frankie always says the secret to a perfect matte lip is applying a layer of the Ultralight Boosting Oil as a primer. —

ELLE, 26 May 2023 Let your primer dry completely between coats and before topping with paint. —

Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, 26 May 2023 Be sure to use an eyeshadow primer underneath your lashes to avoid both. —

Daley Quinn, Health, 25 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, "layperson's prayer book," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin prīmārius, prīmārium, noun derivatives from masculine and neuter of prīmārius "lying at the beginning, primary entry 1"

Noun (2)

prime entry 3 + -er entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of primer was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century