I. ˈpri-mər, chiefly Brit ˈprī-mər noun
Etymology: Middle English, layperson's prayer book, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin primarium, from Late Latin, neuter of primarius primary
Date: 14th century
1. : a small book for teaching children to read
2. : a small introductory book on a subject
3. : a short informative piece of writing
II. ˈprī-mər 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)