prim

See also: Prim, prím, Prìm, prím-, and přím

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹɪm/, [pʰɹ̠̊ɪm]

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪm

Etymology 1

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

prim (comparative primmer, superlative primmest)

1. Of a person, their manner or appearance: Formal and precise; stiffly decorous.
   • 1708, [Jonathan Swift], “The Metamorphosis of Baucis and Philemon, Burlesqu’d; from the 8th Book of Ovid”, in Baucis and Philemon; a Poem. […], London: […] H. Hills, […], published 1709, →OCLC, page 8:

     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.

   • 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:

     God damn it, what does she want of me, this sad, beautiful bridgeplayer of the Fifth Floor, with her air of lost love and her prim carnality?

   • 2024 October 24, Judith Shulevitz, “Michel Houellebecq Has Some Fresh Predictions. Be Afraid.”, in The Atlantic‎:

     And although Paul shares an apartment with his prim wife, aptly named Prudence, they rarely see or speak to each other.

2. (by extension) Of a person: Prudish; straight-laced.
3. Of things: Neat; trim.

   prim regularity

Derived terms

• prim and proper
• primly
• primness
• prissy

Translations

prudish

Bulgarian: превзет (bg) (prevzet) Catalan: posturer m Czech: škrobený, upjatý, prudérní (cs) Dutch: preuts (nl) French: collet monté (fr), guindé (fr) German: prüde (de), ordentlich (de) Polish: pedantyczny (pl) Russian: чо́порный (ru) (čópornyj) Spanish: mojigato (es), santurrón (es), cartuchón Swedish: prudentlig (sv) Ukrainian: соромли́вий (soromlývyj)

precise, neat — see also stylish,‎ dapper

Czech: upravený (cs), úhledný (cs)

Verb

prim (third-person singular simple present prims, present participle primming, simple past and past participle primmed) (dated or archaic)

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

Noun

prim (plural prims)

1. (obsolete) A prim person.

Related terms

• primp

Etymology 2

Unknown; see privet.

Noun

prim

1. (botany) privet

References

• Philip Babcock Gove et al., editors (1961), “prim a”, in Webster's Third New International Dictionary  […], volume II (H to R), published 1981, →ISBN, page 1800
• Philip Babcock Gove et al., editors (1961), “prim v”, in Webster's Third New International Dictionary  […], volume II (H to R), published 1981, →ISBN, page 1800
• “prim, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “prim, n.³”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.