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prim

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prim¹

  • /pɹɪm/
  • [pʰɹ̠̊ɪm]

Rhymes with -ɪm

Where it comes from

Of uncertain origin.

In the verb sense, first appeared in Thomas D'Urfey's A Fool's Preferment in the year 1688.

In the noun sense, first appeared in A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew in the year 1699, meaning "prig." Now obsolete.

In the adjective sense, first appeared in Sir Richard Steele's The Funeral in the year 1702, meaning "consciously or affectedly strict or precise; stiffly formal and respectable."

Oxford English Dictionary proposed a relation with primp and prink. Chiefly Scottish and U.S.

adjective primmer · primmest

  1. Of a person, their manner or appearance: Formal and precise; stiffly decorous. Philemon was in great Surprize,⁠ And hardly could believe his Eyes, Amaz’d to ſee her look ſo prim; And ſhe admir’d as much at him.
  2. broadly, of a person Prudish; straight-laced. He took great joy in the knight's two daughters. The younger was the more beautiful, but so prim she hardly spoke to Goldmund.
  3. Of things: Neat; trim. prim regularity

verb prims · primming · primmed

  1. archaic, intransitive To make one's expression prim.
  2. archaic, transitive To give a prim or demure expression to (one's face, mouth, or (rare) lips).
  3. archaic, transitive To dress (one) up affectedly or demurely.

noun prims

  1. archaic, obsolete A prim person.

prim²

  • /pɹɪm/
  • [pʰɹ̠̊ɪm]

Rhymes with -ɪm

Where it comes from

Unknown; see privet.

noun

  1. archaic privet

Prim³

proper noun

  1. A surname.

Translations

Every language

adj prudish

Españolmojigato, santurrón, cartuchón, recatado
Françaiscollet monté, guindé
Deutschprüde, ordentlich
Русскийчо́порный čópornyj

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MLA

"prim." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prim. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

prim. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prim

Chicago

"prim." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prim.

BibTeX
@misc{prim_2026,
  title = {prim},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prim},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}