primer 1
/prim"euhr/ or, esp. Brit., /pruy"meuhr/ , n.
1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.
2. any book of elementary principles: a primer of phonetics.
3. See great primer .
4. See long primer .
[ 1350-1400; ME primarium, n. use of neut. of primarius PRIMARY ]
primer 2
/pruy"meuhr/ , n.
1. a person or thing that primes.
2. a cap, cylinder, etc., containing a compound that may be exploded by percussion or other means, used for firing a charge of powder.
3. a first coat or layer of paint, size, etc., given to any surface as a base, sealer, or the like.
[ 1490-1500; PRIME (v.) + -ER 1 ]