prime

• adj. 主要的；最好的；基本的
• adv. 极好地
• n. 初期；青年；精华；全盛时期
• vt. 使准备好；填装
• vi. 作准备
• n. (Prime)人名；(英)普赖姆；(德)普里梅

来自拉丁语primus,第一的，最初的，首要的，来自古拉丁语pri,在前，来自PIE*per,向前，在前，词源同ford,first.-im,最高级后缀，词源同ultimate,maximum.

1. a number that has no factor but itself and 1

2. the period of greatest prosperity or productivity

3. the second canonical hour; about 6 a.m.

4. the time of maturity when power and vigor are greatest

prime

prime: [OE] Latin prīmus ‘first’ came from an earlier *prīsmo-, which went back ultimately to Indo-European *pro ‘before, in front’ (ancestor also of English first). English first acquired it direct from Latin in the Anglo-Saxon period as an ecclesiastical term for the earliest of the canonical hours, and this is the source of the modern English noun uses of the word (as in ‘in one’s prime’).

The adjective prime was borrowed in the 14th century from Old French prime. English has a wide range of words that go back to derivatives of Latin prīmus, including premier [15], prim, primal [17], primary [15], primate [13], primitive [14], prince, principal, and principle. The trade-name Primus was first used for a sort of paraffin lamp in the early years of the 20th century.
=> first, premier, prim, primitive, prince, principle

prime (adj.)

late 14c., "first in order," from Latin primus "first, the first, first part," figuratively "chief, principal; excellent, distinguished, noble" (source also of Italian and Spanish primo), from pre-Italic *prismos, superlative of PIE *preis- "before," from root *per- (1) "beyond, through" (see per).

Meaning "first in importance" is from 1610s in English; that of "first-rate" is from 1620s. Arithmetical sense (as in prime number) is from 1560s; prime meridian is from 1878. Prime time originally (c. 1500) meant "spring time;" broadcasting sense of "peak tuning-in period" is attested from 1961.

prime (n.)

"earliest canonical hour" (6 a.m.), Old English prim, from Medieval Latin prima "the first service," from Latin prima hora "the first hour" (of the Roman day). Meaning "most vigorous stage" first recorded 1530s; specifically "springtime of human life" (often meaning ages roughly 21 to 28) is from 1590s. In classical Latin, noun uses of the adjective meant "first part, beginning; leading place."

prime (v.)

"to fill, charge, load" (a weapon), 1510s, probably from prime (adj.). Meaning "to cover with a first coat of paint or dye" is from c. 1600. To prime a pump (c. 1840) meant to pour water down the tube, which saturated the sucking mechanism and made it draw up water more readily. Related: Primed; priming.

excellent, choice, splendid, select, prime, first-rate

这些形容词均有"极好的"之意。

excellent： 通常指事物在等级品位以及职位级别等方面的最优或接近最优。

choice： 指通过精心挑选达到水平，尤指罕见或品质精良的商品。

splendid： 口语常用词，指非常令人满意，显得完美无缺。

select： 指精挑细选出来作为范例的物或人。

prime： 常指最重要、价值最高的东西，也可以表示最佳、最典型或最高的人或物。

first-rate： 多用于指对抽象事物的主观评估，有时含夸大、自负的意味。

When Leah made the commitment to change, she primed herself to new opportunities she may otherwise have overlooked.

出自-2017年6月阅读原文

Songdo, a city built from scratch in South Korea, is one of Kasarda's prime examples.

2019年12月四级真题（第一套）阅读 Section B

The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.

出自-2016年12月阅读原文

Prime Minister Cameron has been reluctant to take action.

出自-2016年12月阅读原文

A prime example Schweitzer and his colleagues cite is the 2004 collapse of energy-trading giant Enron, where managers used financial incentives to motivate salesmen to meet specific revenue goals.

出自-2012年6月阅读原文

A teacher deserves wide latitude in selecting the method of grading that best promotes learning in her classroom; that is, after all, the prime function of grades.

出自-2010年6月阅读原文

This should have primed the subjects with "stereotype threat" – an anxiety that their results will confirm negative stereotypes, which has been shown to damage the performance of African Americans.

出自-2010年6月阅读原文

He has been successfully elected Prime Minister.

出自-2011年12月听力原文

So if you are a student who always reviews over black coffee, perhaps it would be sensible to prime yourself with a cup before the exam.

2017年6月六级真题（第一套）听力 Section C

Helen Mirren stars in the play by Peter Morgan, about queen Elizabeth II of the UK and her private meetings with twelve prime ministers in the course of sixty years.

2019年高考英语全国卷3 阅读理解 阅读A 原文

How much would a mother earn a year if working as the prime minister?

2015年高考英语四川卷 阅读理解 阅读C 题设

This would make their yearly income ￡30, 000 more than the Prime Minister earns.

2015年高考英语四川卷 阅读理解 阅读C 原文

When Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do.

出自-2012年考研阅读原文

When Hoffa's Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a union; now 36% do.

2012年考研真题（英语一）阅读理解 Section Ⅱ

My prime concern is to protect my property.

我最关心的是保护自己的财产。

牛津词典

Winning is not the prime objective in this sport.

获胜不是这项体育运动的主要目的。

牛津词典

The care of the environment is of prime importance.

保护环境是最重要的。

牛津词典

He's the police's prime suspect in this case.

他是该案中警方的主要怀疑对象。

牛津词典

prime (cuts of) beef

上等的牛肉（块）

牛津词典

The store has a prime position in the mall.

这家商店位于商业中心一个非常理想的位置。

牛津词典

The building is a prime example of 1960s architecture.

这座大楼是20世纪60年代的典型建筑。

牛津词典

The house is isolated and a prime target for burglars.

这座孤零零的房子是盗贼的首选目标。

牛津词典

He's a prime candidate for promotion.

他是最有望获得晋升的人选。

牛津词典

a young woman in her prime

正当妙龄的女郎

牛津词典

He was barely 30 and in the prime of (his) life .

他还不满30岁，正是英姿勃发的年华。

牛津词典

These flowers are long past their prime .

这些花的鼎盛花期早过了。

牛津词典

They had been primed with good advice.

他们事先得到了高人指点。

牛津词典

She was ready and primed for action.

她已胸有成竹、跃跃欲试了。

牛津词典

He had primed his friends to give the journalists as little information as possible.

他已经知会他的朋友，尽量少向记者透露消息。

牛津词典

The bomb was primed, ready to explode.

炸弹已准备好，可随时引爆。

牛津词典

Political stability, meanwhile, will be a prime concern...

同时，政治稳定性将放在首位。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It could be a prime target for guerrilla attack...

这可能是游击队进攻的主要目标。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It was one of the City's prime sites, near the Stock Exchange.

这是伦敦最好的地段之一，离证券交易所很近。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The prime example is Macy's, once the undisputed king of California retailers.

最典型的例子是梅西百货，它曾经是加利福尼亚无可争辩的零售巨头。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Maybe I'm just coming into my prime now...

也许我现在正要步入事业辉煌期。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

She was in her intellectual prime...

在智力上，她正处于壮年。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Claire wished she'd primed Sarah beforehand...

克莱尔真希望她事先指点过萨拉。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Arnold primed her for her duties...

阿诺德事先让她熟悉了自己的任务。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He was priming the bomb to go off in an hour's time...

他正在装炸弹，设定为在一个小时之内爆炸。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Tom keeps a primed 10-foot shotgun in his office.

汤姆在办公室放了一支装了子弹的10英尺长的猎枪。

柯林斯高阶英语词典