I. ˈprīˌmerē, -_m(ə)rē, -ri adjective
Etymology: 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 RCH 2 − 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. adjective
1. : 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