prime

Use the word "prime" to talk about things that are of good quality or when a person is at his or her best.

• At forty-seven, Bob feels like he’s in the prime of his life. (This is a stage of life when a person is at full strength mentally, physically, socially, financially, etc.)
• When Joe was in his prime, he was able to play tennis for hours and hours. Now he can’t do that.
• Julia is at her prime when she’s surrounded by her friends and others who support her.
• Steak lovers enjoy prime rib because it’s so juicy and tender. (prime rib = a high quality cut of meat from a cow)
• Retailers look for prime locations in which to sell their products.
• A labrador is a prime breed of dog for hunting or companionship.

He feels like in the prime of his life.

When used as a verb, a person primes another person or a thing to be prepared for some activity or purpose:

• You should prime bare wood with a primer before applying paint.
• Jerry primed his car before he painted it with a top coat.
• Sheetrock should be primed before it’s painted.
• Matt is being primed for a V.P. position at the company where he works. (V.P. = vice president)
• Sophia’s boss is priming her to take over the accounting department.
• Our dog is being primed for hunting by a professional dog trainer.

The word "prime" is used before the word "minister" when referring to the top political leader in countries that have a parliamentary system of governement.

• The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is Boris Johnson.
• Narendra Moti was elected as the Prime Minister of India in 2014.

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February 6, 2020