primer

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: prim=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

primer, n. 

 One who, or that which, primes  [1913 Webster]

primer, a. [OF. primer, primier, premier, F. premier. See Premier.].

 First; original; primary.  Drayton.  [1913 Webster]

Primer fine (O. Eng. Law), a fine due to the king on the writ or commencement of a suit by fine. Blackstone. -- Primer seizin (Feudal Law), the right of the king, when a tenant in capite died seized of a knight's fee, to receive of the heir, if of full age, one year's profits of the land if in possession, and half a year's profits if the land was in reversion expectant on an estate for life; -- now abolished. Blackstone.

primer, n. [Originally, the book read at prime, the first canonical hour. LL. primae liber. See Prime, n., 4.].

•  Originally, a small prayer book for church service, containing the little office of the Virgin Mary; also, a work of elementary religious instruction.  [1913 Webster]

  "The primer, or office of the Blessed Virgin."  [1913 Webster]
•  A small elementary book for teaching children to read; a reading or spelling book for a beginner.  [1913 Webster]

  "As he sat in the school at his prymer."  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of type, of which there are two species; one, called long primer, intermediate in size between bourgeois and small pica [see Long primer]; the other, called great primer, larger than pica.  [1913 Webster]

  "Great primer type."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

primer, n.
1 a substance used to prime wood etc.
2 a cap, cylinder, etc., used to ignite the powder of a cartridge etc.

primer, n.
1 an elementary textbook for teaching children to read.
2 an introductory book.

Etymology

ME f. AF f. med.L primarius -arium f. L primus first

THESAURUS

primer

abecedarium, abecedary, alphabet, alphabet book, and arithmetic, basics, battledore, blasting cap, cap, casebook, chromogen, coat, coat of paint, coating, color, color filter, color gelatin, colorant, coloring, dead-color, detonating powder, detonator, distemper, drier, dye, dyestuff, electric detonator, elementary education, elements, exercise book, exploder, exterior paint, first principles, first steps, flat coat, flat wash, floor enamel, fulminating mercury, fuse, gradus, grammar, ground, hornbook, induction, initiation, interior paint, introduction, manual, manual of instruction, medium, mercury fulminate, opaque color, outlines, paint, percussion cap, pigment, primacord, prime coat, priming, principia, principles, propaedeutic, reader, reading, rudiments, schoolbook, speller, spelling book, squib, stain, t, tempera, text, thinner, tinction, tincture, transparent color, turpentine, turps, undercoat, undercoating, vehicle, wash, wash coat, workbook, writing

ROGET THESAURUS

primer

School

N school, academy, university, alma mater, college, seminary, Lyceum, institute, institution, palaestra, Gymnasium, class, seminar, day school, boarding school, preparatory school, primary school, infant school, dame's school, grammar school, middle class school, Board school, denominational school, National school, British and Foreign school, collegiate school, art school, continuation school, convent school, County Council school, government school, grant-in-aid school, high school, higher grade school, military school, missionary school, naval school, naval academy, state-aided school, technical school, voluntary school, school, school of art, kindergarten, nursery, creche, reformatory, pulpit, lectern, soap box desk, reading desk, ambo, lecture room, theater, auditorium, amphitheater, forum, state, rostrum, platform, hustings, tribune, school book, horn book, text book, grammar, primer, abecedary, rudiments, manual, vade mecum, encyclopedia, cyclopedia, Lindley Murray, Cocker, dictionary, lexicon, professorship, lectureship, readership, fellowship, tutorship, chair, School Board Council of Education, Board of Education, Board of Studies, Prefect of Studies, Textbook Committee, propaganda, scholastic, academic, collegiate, educational, ex cathedra.