primer

UK: /ˈpraɪmə^r/

US: /ˈprɪmɚ/

US: (Educ. prim′ər or, esp. Brit., prī′mər; prī′mər for 2)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

prim•er¹ /ˈprɪmɚ/   n. [countable]

1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.
2. any book of elementary principles.

prim•er² /ˈpraɪmɚ/   n. [countable]

1. a person or thing that primes.
2. a small explosive designed to ignite a larger one.
3. a first coat of paint, applied to any surface as a base, sealer, etc.

See -prim-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

prim•er¹  (prim′ər or, esp. Brit., prī′mər), n. 

1. an elementary book for teaching children to read.
2. any book of elementary principles:
   a primer of phonetics.
3. See great primer. 
4. See long primer. 

• Medieval Latin prīmārium, noun, nominal use of neuter of prīmārius primary
• Middle English 1350–1400

prim•er²  (prī′mər), n. 

1. a person or thing that primes.
2. a cap, cylinder, etc., containing a compound that may be exploded by percussion or other means, used for firing a charge of powder.
3. a first coat or layer of paint, size, etc., given to any surface as a base, sealer, or the like.

• prime (verb, verbal) + -er¹ 1490–1500

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

primer / ˈpraɪmə/ noun

1. an introductory text, such as a school textbook

Etymology: 14th Century: via Anglo-Norman from Medieval Latin primārius (liber) a first (book), from Latin prīmārius primary

primer / ˈpraɪmə/ noun

1. a person or thing that primes
2. a device, such as a tube containing explosive, for detonating the main charge in a gun, mine, etc
3. a substance, such as paint, applied to a surface as a base, sealer, etc
4. a short sequence of DNA used to initiate a polymerase chain reaction

Etymology: 15th Century: see prime (vb)