primary

1. of or relating to the education of children up to the age of 11

2. (of the flight feathers of a bird's wing) growing from the manus

a. being the part of an electric circuit, such as a transformer or induction coil, in which a changing current induces a current in a neighbouring circuit

b. (of a current) flowing in such a circuit

a. (of a product) consisting of a natural raw material; unmanufactured

b. (of production or industry) involving the extraction or winning of such products. Agriculture, fishing, forestry, hunting, and mining are primary industries

5. Chem

a. (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to at least two hydrogen atoms

b. (of an amine) having only one organic group attached to the nitrogen atom; containing the group NH₂ CHECK FORMULA

c. (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of one acidic hydrogen atom with a metal atom or electropositive group

6. Geology relating to magmas that have not experienced fractional crystallization or crystal contamination

7. in the US

a. a preliminary election in which the voters of a state or region choose a party's convention delegates, nominees for office, etc.

b. a local meeting of voters registered with one party to nominate candidates, select convention delegates, etc.

8. See primary colour

9. any of the flight feathers growing from the manus of a bird's wing

10. a primary coil, winding, inductance, or current in an electric circuit

11. Astronomy a celestial body around which one or more specified secondary bodies orbit

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

primary

The celestial body that is nearest to the center of mass of a system of orbiting bodies. The other members, called secondaries, appear to orbit the primary, which is the most massive in the system. In fact all members move round the common center of mass. The Earth is the Moon's primary. See also visual binary.

Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006

primary

[′prī ‚mer·ē]

(astronomy)

A planet with reference to its satellites, or the sun with reference to its planets.

The brighter star of a double star system.

(chemistry)

A term used to distinguish basic compounds from similar or isomeric forms; in organic compounds, for example, RCH₂OH is a primary alcohol, R₁R₂CHOH is a secondary alcohol, and R₁R₂R₃COH is a tertiary alcohol; in inorganic compounds, for example, NaH₂PO₄ is primary sodium phosphate, Na₂HPO₄ is the secondary form, and Na₃PO₄ is the tertiary form.

(electricity)

One of the high-voltage conductors of a power distribution system.

primary winding

(geology)

A young shoreline whose features are produced chiefly by nonmarine agencies.

Of a mineral deposit, unaffected by supergene enrichment.

(metallurgy)

Of a metal, obtained directly from ore.

(vertebrate zoology)

Of or pertaining to quills on the distal joint of a bird wing.

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References in periodicals archive

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