n. 1 any animal of the order Primates, the highest order of mammals, including tarsiers, lemurs, apes, monkeys, and man. 2 an archbishop. Primate of All England the Archbishop of Canterbury. Primate of England the Archbishop of York. primatial adj. primatology n. (in sense 1).
[ ME f. OF primat f. L primas -atis (adj.) of the first rank f. primus first, in med.L = primate ]