Tra từ prime - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

prime AW [prime primes primed priming] adjective, noun, verb BrE [praɪm] NAmE [praɪm]
adjective only before noun
1. main; most important; basic
•My prime concern is to protect my property.
•Winning is not the prime objective in this sport.
•The care of the environment is of prime importance.
•He's the police's prime suspect in this case.
2. of the best quality; excellent
•prime (cuts of) beef
•The store has a prime position in the mall.
3. a prime example of sth is one that is typical of it
•The building is a prime example of 1960s architecture.
4. most likely to be chosen for sth; most suitable
•The house is isolated and a prime target for burglars.
•He's a prime candidate for promotion.

Word Origin:
n. and adj. Old English prīm Latin prima (hora) ‘first (hour)’ Middle English Old French prime late Middle English Old French Latin primus ‘first’ v. early 16th cent. ‘fill, load’ Latin primus ‘first’

Synonyms:
main
major • key • central • principal • chief • prime
These words all describe sb/sth that is the largest or most important of its kind.
main • [only before noun] largest or most important: ▪ Be careful crossing the main road. ◇ ▪ The main thing is to remain calm.
major • [usually before noun] very large or important: ▪ He played a major role in setting up the system.
Major is most often used after a with a singular noun, or no article with a plural noun. When it is used with the or my/your/his/her/our/their it means ‘the largest or most important’: ▪ Our major concern here is combatting poverty. In this meaning it is only used to talk about ideas or worries that people have, not physical things, and it is also more formal than main: Be careful crossing the major road. ◇ The major thing is to remain calm.
key • [usually before noun] most important; essential: ▪ He was a key figure in the campaign.
Key is used most frequently in business and political contexts. It can be used to talk about ideas, or the part that sb plays in a situation, but not physical things. It is slightly more informal than major, especially when used after a noun and linking verb: ▪ Speed is key at this point.
central • (rather formal) most important: ▪ The central issue is that of widespread racism.
Central is used in a similar way to key, but is more formal. It is most frequently used in the phrase sth is central to sth else.
principal • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important: ▪ The principal reason for this omission is lack of time.
Principal is mostly used for statements of fact about which there can be no argument. To state an opinion, or to try to persuade sb of the facts as you see them, it is more usual to use key or central: ▪ The key/central issue here is…
chief • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important: ▪ Unemployment was the chief cause of poverty.
prime • [only before noun] (rather formal) most important; to be considered first: ▪ My prime concern is to protect my property.
a/the main/major/key/central/principal/chief/prime aim/concern
a/the main/major/principal road/town/city
the main/key thing is to…
to be of major/key/central/prime importance

Example Bank:
•Over £100 000 worth of prime lamb was destroyed in the fire.
•Use only prime cuts of beef.
•a prime location in the centre of town
Idiom: ↑prime the pump

noun singular
the time in your life when you are strongest or most successful
•a young woman in her prime
•He was barely 30 and in the prime of (his) life.
•These flowers are long past their prime.

Word Origin:
n. and adj. Old English prīm Latin prima (hora) ‘first (hour)’ Middle English Old French prime late Middle English Old French Latin primus ‘first’ v. early 16th cent. ‘fill, load’ Latin primus ‘first’

Example Bank:
•I'm afraid he's long past his prime.
•She was cut off in her prime, and never lived to see the poems published.
•When he wrote the symphony he was in the prime of his life.
•He was barely 30 and in the prime of (his) life when he had the accident.
•It was late August and the flowers were long past their prime.
•She was then a great artist in her prime.

verb
1. to prepare sb for a situation so that they know what to do, especially by giving them special information
Syn: ↑brief
•~ sb (with sth) They had been primed with good advice.
•~ sb (for sth) She was ready and primed for action.
•~ sb to do sth He had primed his friends to give the journalists as little information as possible.
2. ~ sth to make sth ready for use or action
•The bomb was primed, ready to explode.
3. ~ sth to prepare wood, metal, etc. for painting by covering it with a special paint that helps the next layer of paint to stay on
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
n. and adj. Old English prīm Latin prima (hora) ‘first (hour)’ Middle English Old French prime late Middle English Old French Latin primus ‘first’ v. early 16th cent. ‘fill, load’ Latin primus ‘first’