noun
primer
PREYE-muh
noun
1
A short introductory book or guide covering the basics of a subject.
"The manual includes a primer on basic electronics."
2
A substance applied as a base coat before paint, to help it stick and look even.
"Apply a coat of primer before painting over the stain."
3
A device or charge used to set off an explosive.
"The primer ignites the main charge in the cartridge."
How to Use Primer
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA basic introductory guide to a topic, or (in a different sense) a coat of paint-prep or an explosive starter charge.
Common pairings
a primer on
coat of primer
apply primer
Word Forms
primers plural, primers plural, Primers plural
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The manual includes a _____ on basic electronics.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin primarius/primarium ("prayer book"), which in early modern England came to also mean a basic schoolbook for teaching reading — the ancestor of today's "introductory guide" sense.