prime2

verb

• 1make (something) ready for use or action, in particular:
• prepare (a firearm or explosive device) for firing or detonation: he grabbed a gun from a nearby wall and primed it
• cover (a surface) with a primer: prime the new timber before painting the sill
• pour or spray liquid into (a pump) before starting in order to seal the moving parts and facilitate its operation: ensure a sufficient head of water is available to prime the pump
• inject extra fuel into (the cylinder or carburettor of an internal-combustion engine) in order to facilitate starting.
• [no object] (of a steam engine or its boiler) mix water with the steam being passed into the cylinder.
• Biology & Medicine induce a susceptibility or proclivity in (an animal, person, or tissue):artificial milk can prime the baby’s body for future allergic reactions
• Biochemistry serve as a starting material for (a polymerization process): the oligonucleotide might prime DNA polymerase activity at multiple sites

• 2prepare (someone) for a situation, typically by supplying them with relevant information: [with object and infinitive]:the sentries had been primed to admit him without challenge