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4 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Primary \Pri"ma*ry\, a. [L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F.
     primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]
     1. First in order of time or development or in intention;
        primitive; fundamental; original.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The church of Christ, in its primary institution.
                                                    --Bp. Pearson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              These I call original, or primary, qualities of
              body.                                 --Locke.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. First in order, as being preparatory to something higher;
        as, primary assemblies; primary schools.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as,
        primary planets; a matter of primary importance.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Geol.) Earliest formed; fundamental.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Chem.) Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by,
        some quality or property in the first degree; having
        undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Primary alcohol (Organic Chem.), any alcohol which possess
        the group CH2.OH, and can be oxidized so as to form a
        corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number of
        carbon atoms; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary
        alcohols.
  
     Primary amine (Chem.), an amine containing the amido group,
        or a derivative of ammonia in which only one atom of
        hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical; --
        distinguished from secondary & tertiary amines.
  
     Primary amputation (Surg.), an amputation for injury
        performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has
        passed away, and before symptoms of inflammation
        supervene.
  
     Primary axis (Bot.), the main stalk which bears a whole
        cluster of flowers.
  
     Primary colors. See under Color.
  
     Primary meeting, a meeting of citizens at which the first
        steps are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc.
        See Caucus.
  
     Primary pinna (Bot.), one of those portions of a compound
        leaf or frond which branch off directly from the main
        rhachis or stem, whether simple or compounded.
  
     Primary planets. (Astron.) See the Note under Planet.
  
     Primary qualities of bodies, such are essential to and
        inseparable from them.
  
     Primary quills (Zo["o]l.), the largest feathers of the wing
        of a bird; primaries.
  
     Primary rocks (Geol.), a term early used for rocks supposed
        to have been first formed, being crystalline and
        containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.;
        -- called also primitive rocks. The terms Secondary,
        Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have also been used in like
        manner, but of these the last two only are now in use.
  
     Primary salt (Chem.), a salt derived from a polybasic acid
        in which only one acid hydrogen atom has been replaced by
        a base or basic radical.
  
     Primary syphilis (Med.), the initial stage of syphilis,
        including the period from the development of the original
        lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms
        indicative of general constitutional infection.
  
     Primary union (Surg.), union without suppuration; union by
        the first intention.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Primitive \Prim"i*tive\, a. [L. primitivus, fr. primus the
     first: cf. F. primitif. See Prime, a.]
     1. Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early
        times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as,
        primitive innocence; the primitive church. ``Our primitive
        great sire.'' --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Of or pertaining to a former time; old-fashioned;
        characterized by simplicity; as, a primitive style of
        dress.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Original; primary; radical; not derived; as, primitive
        verb in grammar.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Primitive axes of co["o]rdinate (Geom.), that system of
        axes to which the points of a magnitude are first
        referred, with reference to a second set or system, to
        which they are afterward referred.
  
     Primitive chord (Mus.), that chord, the lowest note of
        which is of the same literal denomination as the
        fundamental base of the harmony; -- opposed to derivative.
        --Moore (Encyc. of Music).
  
     Primitive circle (Spherical Projection), the circle cut
        from the sphere to be projected, by the primitive plane.
        
  
     Primitive colors (Paint.), primary colors. See under
        Color.
  
     Primitive Fathers (Eccl.), the acknowledged Christian
        writers who flourished before the Council of Nice, A. D.
        325. --Shipley.
  
     Primitive groove (Anat.), a depression or groove in the
        epiblast of the primitive streak. It is not connected with
        the medullary groove, which appears later and in front of
        it.
  
     Primitive plane (Spherical Projection), the plane upon
        which the projections are made, generally coinciding with
        some principal circle of the sphere, as the equator or a
        meridian.
  
     Primitive rocks (Geol.), primary rocks. See under
        Primary.
  
     Primitive sheath. (Anat.) See Neurilemma.
  
     Primitive streak or Primitive trace (Anat.), an opaque
        and thickened band where the mesoblast first appears in
        the vertebrate blastoderm.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: First; original; radical; pristine; ancient; primeval;
          antiquated; old-fashioned.
          [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Primary \Pri"ma*ry\, a. [L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F.
     primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]
     1. First in order of time or development or in intention;
        primitive; fundamental; original.
  
              The church of Christ, in its primary institution.
                                                    --Bp. Pearson.
  
              These I call original, or primary, qualities of
              body.                                 --Locke.
  
     2. First in order, as being preparatory to something higher;
        as, primary assemblies; primary schools.
  
     3. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as,
        primary planets; a matter of primary importance.
  
     4. (Geol.) Earliest formed; fundamental.
  
     5. (Chem.) Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by,
        some quality or property in the first degree; having
        undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.
  
     Primary alcohol (Organic Chem.), any alcohol which possess
        the group CH2.OH, and can be oxidized so as to form a
        corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number of
        carbon atoms; -- distinguished from secondary & tertiary
        alcohols.
  
     Primary amine (Chem.), an amine containing the amido group,
        or a derivative of ammonia in which only one atom of
        hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical; --
        distinguished from secondary & tertiary amines.
  
     Primary amputation (Surg.), an amputation for injury
        performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has
        passed away, and before symptoms of inflammation
        supervene.
  
     Primary axis (Bot.), the main stalk which bears a whole
        cluster of flowers.
  
     Primary colors. See under Color.
  
     Primary meeting, a meeting of citizens at which the first
        steps are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc.
        See Caucus.
  
     Primary pinna (Bot.), one of those portions of a compound
        leaf or frond which branch off directly from the main
        rhachis or stem, whether simple or compounded.
  
     Primary planets. (Astron.) See the Note under Planet.
  
     Primary qualities of bodies, such are essential to and
        inseparable from them.
  
     Primary quills (Zo["o]l.), the largest feathers of the wing
        of a bird; primaries.
  
     Primary rocks (Geol.), a term early used for rocks supposed
        to have been first formed, being crystalline and
        containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.;
        -- called also primitive rocks. The terms Secondary,
        Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have also been used in like
        manner, but of these the last two only are now in use.
  
     Primary salt (Chem.), a salt derived from a polybasic acid
        in which only one acid hydrogen atom has been replaced by
        a base or basic radical.
  
     Primary syphilis (Med.), the initial stage of syphilis,
        including the period from the development of the original
        lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms
        indicative of general constitutional infection.
  
     Primary union (Surg.), union without suppuration; union by
        the first intention.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Primitive \Prim"i*tive\, a. [L. primitivus, fr. primus the
     first: cf. F. primitif. See Prime, a.]
     1. Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early
        times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as,
        primitive innocence; the primitive church. ``Our primitive
        great sire.'' --Milton.
  
     2. Of or pertaining to a former time; old-fashioned;
        characterized by simplicity; as, a primitive style of
        dress.
  
     3. Original; primary; radical; not derived; as, primitive
        verb in grammar.
  
     Primitive axes of co["o]rdinate (Geom.), that system of
        axes to which the points of a magnitude are first
        referred, with reference to a second set or system, to
        which they are afterward referred.
  
     Primitive chord (Mus.), that chord, the lowest note of
        which is of the same literal denomination as the
        fundamental base of the harmony; -- opposed to derivative.
        --Moore (Encyc. of Music).
  
     Primitive circle (Spherical Projection), the circle cut
        from the sphere to be projected, by the primitive plane.
        
  
     Primitive colors (Paint.), primary colors. See under
        Color.
  
     Primitive Fathers (Eccl.), the acknowledged Christian
        writers who flourished before the Council of Nice, A. D.
        325. --Shipley.
  
     Primitive groove (Anat.), a depression or groove in the
        epiblast of the primitive streak. It is not connected with
        the medullary groove, which appears later and in front of
        it.
  
     Primitive plane (Spherical Projection), the plane upon
        which the projections are made, generally coinciding with
        some principal circle of the sphere, as the equator or a
        meridian.
  
     Primitive rocks (Geol.), primary rocks. See under
        Primary.
  
     Primitive sheath. (Anat.) See Neurilemma.
  
     Primitive streak or trace (Anat.), an opaque and
        thickened band where the mesoblast first appears in the
        vertebrate blastoderm.
  
     Syn: First; original; radical; pristine; ancient; primeval;
          antiquated; old-fashioned.

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