PRIMER (primer)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: primer   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does primer mean? 

• PRIMER (noun)
  The noun PRIMER has 3 senses:

1. an introductory textbook

2. any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant

3. the first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface

  Familiarity information: PRIMER used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRIMER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An introductory textbook

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("primer" is a kind of...):

school text; schoolbook; text; text edition; textbook (a book prepared for use in schools or colleges)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "primer"):

speller (an introductory textbook to teach spelling)

hornbook (a primer that provides instruction in the rudiments or basic skills of a branch of knowledge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any igniter that is used to initiate the burning of a propellant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

fuse; fusee; fuze; fuzee; primer; priming

Hypernyms ("primer" is a kind of...):

igniter; ignitor; light; lighter (a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "primer"):

detonating fuse (a fuse containing an explosive)

safety fuse (a slow-burning fuse consisting of a tube or cord filled or saturated with combustible matter; used to ignite detonators from a distance)

time-fuse (a fuse made to burn for a given time (especially to explode a bomb))

Derivation:

prime (insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The first or preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

flat coat; ground; primer; primer coat; priming; priming coat; undercoat

Hypernyms ("primer" is a kind of...):

coat of paint (a layer of paint covering something else)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "primer"):

couch (a flat coat of paint or varnish used by artists as a primer)

Derivation:

prime (cover with a primer; apply a primer to)

 Context examples 

Requires a primer, which may be DNA or RNA.

(DNA-directed DNA Polymerase, NCI Thesaurus)

The DNA primase (DnaG) is needed to form RNA primers.

(DNA Replication Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Methods for building collections of cloned DNA consisting of DNA copies of all the mRNAs produced by a cell type. cDNAs are generated using reverse transcriptase and either an oligo-dT or random primer.

(cDNA Library Construction, NCI Thesaurus)

During the replication process, these enzymes catalyze the addition of deoxyribonucleotide residues to the end of a DNA strand in the presence of DNA as template-primer.

(DNA-directed DNA Polymerase, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

This allele, which encodes DNA nucleotidylexotransferase protein, plays a role in the template direction-independent addition of deoxyribonucleotides to the 3'-hydroxyl terminus of oligonucleotide primers.

(DNTT wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

"Yes, if you are good, and love your book, as the boys in the primer are told to do," said Meg, smiling.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

This protein plays a role in the synthesis of small RNA primers to resolve the Okazaki fragments made during discontinuous DNA replication.

(DNA Primase Large Subunit, NCI Thesaurus)

Next I pried the primer, or cap, from the shell, and laid it on the rock, in the midst of the scattered powder.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The genetic sequence for CDR3 is amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and specific primers.

(CDR3 Spectratyping, NCI Thesaurus)

DNA Primase is a polymerase that synthesizes small RNA primers for Okazaki fragments made during discontinuous DNA replication.

(DNA Primase, NCI Thesaurus)