prime1

adjective

• 1of first importance; main:her prime concern is the well-being of the patient
• from which another thing may derive or proceed:Diogenes' conclusion that air is the prime matter

• 2 [attributive] of the best possible quality; excellent:a prime site in the center of Indianapolis prime cuts of meat
• having all the expected or typical characteristics of something:the novel is a prime example of the genre
• most suitable or likely:it’s the prime contender for best comedy of the year

• 3 Mathematics (of a number) evenly divisible only by itself and one (e.g., 2, 3, 5, 7, 11).
• [predic.] (of two or more numbers in relation to each other) having no common factor but one.

noun

• 1 [in singular] a state or time of greatest strength, vigor, or success in a person’s life:you’re in the prime of life he wasn’t elderly, but clearly past his prime
• archaic the beginning or first period of something:the prime of the world

• 2 Christian Church a service forming part of the Divine Office, traditionally said (or chanted) at the first hour of the day (i.e., 6 a.m.), but now little used.

• 3a prime number.

• 4 Printing a symbol (ʹ) written after a letter or symbol as a distinguishing mark or after a figure as a symbol for minutes or feet.

• 5 Fencing the first of eight standard parrying positions.

  [French]

• 6short for prime rate.