Search results for 'primary':

primary adj 1 first or most important; principal. 2 earliest in order or development. 3 (Primary) geol Palaeozoic. See also secondary, tertiary. 4 basic; fundamental. 5 at the elementary stage or level. 6 said of education, schools, classes etc: for children aged between 5 and 11 • Jane's in primary six. See also secondary, tertiary. 7 said of a bird's wing feather: outermost and longest. 8 firsthand; direct • primary sources of information. 9 said of a product or industry: being or concerned with produce in its raw natural state. 10 elec a said of a battery or cell: producing electricity by an irreversible chemical reaction; b said of a circuit or current: inducing a current in a neighbouring circuit. noun (primaries) 1 something that is first or most important. 2 US a preliminary election, especially to select delegates for a presidential election. 3 Brit colloq a primary school • attends the local primary. 4 a bird's primary feather. 5 (the Primary) the Palaeozoic era.
ETYMOLOGY: 15c: from Latin primarius, from primus first.