PRIME


Meaning of PRIME in English

n.

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, feminine of prim first, from Latin primus; akin to Latin prior

Date: 14th century

1 : first in time : ORIGINAL

2 a : of, relating to, or being a prime number ― compare RELATIVELY PRIME b : having no polynomial factors other than itself and no monomial factors other than 1 <a prime polynomial> c : expressed as a product of prime factors (as prime numbers and prime polynomials) <a prime factorization>

3 a : first in rank, authority, or significance : PRINCIPAL <a prime example> b : having the highest quality or value < prime farmland> c : of the highest grade regularly marketed ― used of meat and especially beef

4 : not deriving from something else : PRIMARY

– prime · ly adverb

– prime · ness noun

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.