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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary pri·ma·ry \\ˈprī-ˌmer-ē, ˈprī-mə-rē, ˈprīm-rē\\ adjective ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Late Latin primarius basic, primary, from Latin, principal, from primus DATE 15th century 1. first in order of time or development : primitive
the primary stage of civilization
the primary lesion of a disease2.
a. of first rank, importance, or value : principal
the primary purpose
b. basic , fundamental
security is a primary need
c. of, relating to, or constituting the principal quills of a bird's wing
d. of or relating to agriculture, forestry, and the extractive industries or their products
e. expressive of present or future time
primary tense
f. of, relating to, or constituting the strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists
the first syllable of basketball carries primary stress3.
a. direct , firsthand
primary sources of information
b. not derivable from other colors, odors, or tastes
c. preparatory to something else in a continuing process
primary instruction
d. of or relating to a primary school
primary education
e. of or relating to a primary election
a primary candidate
f. belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications
primary nerves
g. directly derived from ores
primary metals
h. of, relating to, or being the amino acid sequence in proteins
primary protein structure4. resulting from the substitution of one of two or more atoms or groups in a molecule
a primary amineespecially : being or characterized by a carbon atom having a bond to only one other carbon atom 5. of, relating to, involving, or derived from primary meristem
primary tissue
primary growth6. of, relating to, or involved in the production of organic substances by green plants
primary productivity7. providing primary care
a primary physiciannoun
( plural -ries)
DATE 1656 1. something that stands first in rank, importance, or value : fundamental — usually used in plural 2. the celestial body around which one or more other celestial bodies revolve; especially : the more massive usually brighter component of a binary star system3. one of the usually 9 or 10 strong quills on the distal joint of a bird's wing — see wing illustration 4.
a. primary color
b. the sensation of seeing primary colors5.
a. caucus
b. an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention6. the coil that is connected to the source of electricity in an induction coil or transformer — called also primary coil primary
1471, "of the first order," from L. primarius "of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.) ). Primary color is first recorded 1612; primary school is 1802, from Fr. école primaire."The Paris journals ... are full of a plan, brought forward by Fourcroy, for the establishment of primary schools, which is not interesting to an English reader." [London "Times," April 27, 1802]Primary election is recorded from 1792, with ref. to France; in a U.S. context, recorded from 1835; earlier primary caucus (1821). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ primarypri·mary / 5praimEri; NAmE -meri / adjective1. [usually before noun] main; most important; basic 主要的；最重要的；基本的
SYN prime :
The primary aim of this course is to improve your spoken English. 这门课的主要目的是提高英语会话能力。
Our primary concern must be the children. 我们首先要关心的必须是儿童。
Good health care is of primary importance. 良好的医疗保健是重中之重。2. [usually before noun] developing or happening first; earliest 最初的；最早的:
primary causes 最初的原因
The disease is still in its primary stage. 这病尚处于初始阶段。3. [only before noun] (especially BrE) connected with the education of children between the ages of about nine and eleven 初等教育的；小学教育的:
primary teachers 小学教师⇨ compare elementary (1), secondary (3), tertiary noun (pl. -ies)
(also 7primary e'lection) (in the US) an election in which people in a particular area vote to choose a candidate for a future important election (美国)初选:
the Illinois primary 伊利诺伊州的初选
the presidential primaries 总统候选人初选 primary adj. ⇨ first (the primary stage) ⇨ main (the primary aim) Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: nonpartisan primary , or open primary , or preferential primary , or presidential primary , or primary accent , or primary air , or primary alcohol , or primary alphabet , or primary amine , or primary atypical pneumonia , or primary battery , or primary benefit , or primary body , or primary body cavity , or primary burial , or primary cause , or primary cell , or primary circle , or primary coil , or primary color , or primary commercial blanket bond , or primary constriction , or primary covert , or primary deposit , or primary endosperm nucleus , or primary evidence , or primary explosive , or primary group , or primary growth , or primary host , or primary humor , or primary infection , or primary intention , or primary jurisdiction , or primary lesion , or primary lookout , or primary market , or primary meeting , or primary memory , or primary meristem , or primary minimum , or primary narcissism , or primary phloem , or primary pit field , or primary point , or primary protective layer , or primary quality , or primary quill , or primary rainbow , or primary ray , or primary receipts , or primary release , or primary reserve , or primary road , or primary rocks , or primary root , or primary salt , or primary school , or primary shipments , or primary spermatocyte , or primary substance , or primary succession , or primary syphilis , or primary tissue , or primary triad , or primary type , or primary wall , or primary xylem , or psychological primary , or runoff primary , or spurious primary , or subtractive primary , or additive primary , or white primary , or primary care , or primary consumer , or primary derivative , or primary structure , or primary tooth , or presidential preference primary , or primary election , or primary health care , or primary structurist , or closed primary , or direct primary
pri·maryI. \ˈprīˌmerē, -_m(ə)rē, -ri\ adjectiveEtymology: Late Latin primarius basic, primary, from Latin, principal, from primus first + -arius -ary — more at prime 1.
a. : first in order of time or development : initial : primitive
< the primary forest >
< the primary stage of civilization >
< primary tuberculosis >
b.
(1) : of or relating to geological formations of the Paleozoic and earlier periods
(2) of minerals or ore deposits : formed first; especially : formed under igneous, pneumatolytic, or hydrothermal conditions : hypogene 2.
a. : first in rank or importance : chief , principal
< the primary duty of safeguarding the peace of the world — P.J.Noel-Baker >
< the primary member of the cabinet >
b. : basic , fundamental
< man has always used the most durable materials available for his primary tools — R.W.Murray >
< the family is still the primary human association — Kimball Young >
c. : of, relating to, or constituting the principal quills of a bird's wing
d. : of or relating to agriculture, forestry, and the extractive industries or their products
< primary economic activities >
< primary goods >
< world primary prices have dipped significantly below their recent peaks — W.T.C.King >
e. : expressive of present or future time — used of a grammatical tense
< the present, future, perfect, and future perfect indicative are the Greek primary tenses >
f. : of, relating to, or constituting the strongest of the three or the four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists 3. : functioning or transmitted without intermediary : direct
< require primary assistance if they are to be kept from starving and freezing to death — New York Times >4.
a. : not derived from or dependent on something else : firsthand , independent , original
< a very useful primary historical source — R.A.Hall b.1911 >
< primary research >
b. of a color : not derivable from other colors
c. : preparatory to something else : belonging to the first stage of some continuing process or series; specifically : of or relating to a primary school
< primary education >
< primary grades >
< primary instruction >
d. : belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications
< primary nerves >
< primary compounds >
e. : of, relating to, or constituting the inducing current or its circuit in an induction coil or transformer
< the primary voltage >
< primary current >
f. : directly derived from ore : virgin
< primary aluminum >
< primary copper >5. : characterized by replacement in the first degree : resulting from the substitution of one of two or more atoms or groups in a molecule
< a primary phosphate >especially : being or characterized by a carbon atom united by a single valence to only one chain or ring member
< a primary radical RCH2− such as ethyl or benzyl >
— compare secondary , tertiary II. noun
( -es) 1. : something that stands first in order, rank, or importance : fundamental — usually used in plural 2. [short for primary planet]
a. : a planet as distinguished from its satellites
b. : the brighter component of a double star 3.
a. also primary quill : one of the quills on the distal joint of a bird's wing that are attached to the bones of the hand and its fingers and are usually 9 or 10 in number — see bird illustration
b. : either of the forewings of an insect
c.
(1) : one of the first formed plates in the development of the skeleton of an echinoderm after metamorphosis
(2) : an ambulacral plate of a sea urchin extending half across the ambulacral area; also : the largest spine or one of the largest spines on any plate of the test or the tubercle bearing it — compare secondary 6c 4.
a. : primary color
b. : a primary-color sensation 5. : primary coil 6. [translation of French (assemblée) primaire]
a. : caucus 1b
b. or primary election : an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention — see closed primary , direct primary , nonpartisan primary , open primary , presidential primary III. adjective1. : of, relating to, or being the amino acid sequence in proteins
< primary protein structure >2. : of, relating to, involving, or derived from primary meristem
< primary tissue >
< primary growth >3. : of, relating to, or involved in the production of organic substances by green plants
< primary productivity >4. : providing primary care < a primary physician >
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