n.
Pronunciation: ' pr ī -m ə r
Function: noun
Date: 1819
1 : a device for priming especially : a cap, tube, or wafer containing percussion powder or compound used to ignite an explosive charge
2 : material used in priming a surface ― called also prime coat
3 : a molecule (as a short strand of RNA or DNA) whose presence is required for formation of another molecule (as a longer chain of DNA)