The church of Christ, in its primary institution.
--Bp. Pearson.
These I call original, or primary, qualities of
body. --Locke.
2. First in order, as being preparatory to something higher;
as, primary assemblies; primary schools.
3. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as,
primary planets; a matter of primary importance.
4. (Geol.) Earliest formed; fundamental.
5. (Chem.) Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by,
some quality or property in the first degree; having
undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.
{Primary alcohol} (Organic Chem.), any alcohol which possess
the group {CH2.OH}, and can be oxidized so as to form a
corresponding aldehyde and acid having the same number of
carbon atoms; -- distinguished from {secondary & tertiary
alcohols}.
{Primary amine} (Chem.), an amine containing the amido group,
or a derivative of ammonia in which only one atom of
hydrogen has been replaced by a basic radical; --
distinguished from {secondary & tertiary amines}.
{Primary amputation} (Surg.), an amputation for injury
performed as soon as the shock due to the injury has
passed away, and before symptoms of inflammation
supervene.
{Primary axis} (Bot.), the main stalk which bears a whole
cluster of flowers.
{Primary colors}. See under {Color}.
{Primary meeting}, a meeting of citizens at which the first
steps are taken towards the nomination of candidates, etc.
See {Caucus}.
{Primary pinna} (Bot.), one of those portions of a compound
leaf or frond which branch off directly from the main
rhachis or stem, whether simple or compounded.
{Primary planets}. (Astron.) See the Note under {Planet}.
{Primary qualities of bodies}, such are essential to and
inseparable from them.
{Primary quills} (Zo["o]l.), the largest feathers of the wing
of a bird; primaries.
{Primary rocks} (Geol.), a term early used for rocks supposed
to have been first formed, being crystalline and
containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.;
-- called also {primitive rocks}. The terms Secondary,
Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have also been used in like
manner, but of these the last two only are now in use.
{Primary salt} (Chem.), a salt derived from a polybasic acid
in which only one acid hydrogen atom has been replaced by
a base or basic radical.
{Primary syphilis} (Med.), the initial stage of syphilis,
including the period from the development of the original
lesion or chancre to the first manifestation of symptoms
indicative of general constitutional infection.
{Primary union} (Surg.), union without suppuration; union by
the first intention.
2. A primary meeting; a caucus.
3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the large feathers on the distal joint
of a bird's wing. See {Plumage}, and Illust. of {Bird}.
4. (Astron.) A primary planet; the brighter component of a
double star. See under {Planet}.