pricy 1096
pricy /'praisi/ adj PRICEY
pride¹ /praɪd/ n 1 [S;U(in)] (a feeling of) satisfaction or pleasure in what one can do or has done, or in someone or something connected with oneself: They take great pride in their daughter, who is now a famous scientist. 2 [U] reasonable self-respect; proper high opinion of oneself: I think you hurt his pride by laughing at the way he speaks English. 3 [U] derog too high an opinion of oneself because of one's position, wealth, abilities etc. Pride is one of the Seven Deadly Sins according to the Christian religion: Pride was his downfall. (=caused his ruin) → see also SEVEN DEADLY SINS 4 [S(of)] the most valuable person or thing: This fine picture is the pride of my collection. | My garden is my pride and joy. (=something that I think has great value) 5 [C+sing./pl. v] a group (of lions) 6 pride goes before a fall saying someone who behaves too proudly will soon suffer a defeat or misfortune
pride² v [T] pride oneself on to feel satisfied with oneself about: She prided herself on her ability to speak eight languages/on knowing eight languages.
,Pride and 'Prejudice (1813) a novel by Jane AUSTEN about Mr and Mrs Bennet and their daughters. The most important characters are Elizabeth Bennet, a clever and amusing young woman, and the rich, attractive Mr DARCY, who finally realize that they love each other, although previously Elizabeth thought that Darcy was too proud, and he thought that she disliked him without any good reason. The first sentence of Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous sentences in English literature: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife'.
,pride of 'place n [U(in)] especially BrE the highest or best position: Amongst all our playwrights, Shakespeare has/takes pride of place. (=is considered the best) | A poster of Elvis Presley had pride of place in her room.
priest /priːst/ n 1 (in the Christian church, and especially in the Roman Catholic Church) a specially trained person, usually a man, who performs various religious duties and ceremonies for a group of worshippers 2 also priest·ess /'priːstes/ fem. a specially-trained person with religious duties and responsibilities in certain non-Christian religions → see also HIGH PRIEST
priest·hood /'priːsthʊd/ n [(the) U] 1 the office or position of a priest: He entered the priesthood. (=became a priest) 2 [+sing./pl. v] all priests, usually of a particular religion or country
Priest·ley, J. B. /'priːstli/ (1894–1984) a British writer of novels, such as The Good Companions, and plays, such as An Inspector Calls and Dangerous Corner. He also wrote about literature, travel, and society, and he often broadcast on the radio during World War II.
priest·ly /'priːstli/ adj fml of a priest: his priestly duties
prig /prɪg/ n derog someone who is very careful about obeying rules of correct behaviour and therefore thinks him- or herself morally better than other people —~gish adj —~gishness n [U]
prim /prɪm/ adj -mm- 1 usually derog (of a person) very formal or exact in behaviour, and easily shocked by anything rude: She's much too prim and proper to enjoy such a rude joke. 2 neat: prim little blouses —~ly adv —~ness n [U]
pri·ma bal·le·ri·na /ˌpriːmə bælə'riːnə/ n the main woman dancer in a BALLET company
pri·ma·cy /'praɪməsi/ n [U] 1 [(of, over)] fml the state, quality, or position of being first in position, importance etc: We should insist on the primacy of practical skill over theoretical knowledge. 2 the position of a PRIMATE
prima don·na /ˌpriːmə 'dɒnə||-'dɑːnə/ n 1 the main woman singer in an OPERA company 2 derog an excitable self-important person who is always changing her or his mind and expects everyone to do as she or he wishes: He's a bit of a prima donna, which makes him hard to work with.
pri-mae-val /prɑː'miːvəl/ adj especially BrE for PRIMEVAL
pri-ma fa·cie /ˌpraɪmə 'feɪʃi||-'fɑː/ adj, adv [A no comp.] Lat, especially law based on what seems to be true, even though it may be disproved later: Unless there is a prima facie case against him, the trial cannot proceed.
pri·mal /'praɪməl/ adj fml 1 [A] (as if) belonging to the earliest time in the world; original: man's primal innocence → compare PRIMORDIAL 2 PRIMARY: a primal need
,primal 'scream ,therapy also 'primal ,therapy, scream therapy n [S] a form of treatment for mental disorders in which it is thought that if a person can be taken back to a much earlier time of his or her life and re-experience very difficult emotions and SCREAM about them, they will be able to manage better in their lives. People who do not take this seriously sometimes make jokes about it.
pri·ma·ri·ly /'praɪmərəli||praɪ'merəli/ adv fml mainly; chiefly: Ten years ago it was primarily a fishing village, but now it's a thriving tourist centre.
pri·ma·ry¹ /'praɪməri||-meri/ adj 1 chief; main; PRINCIPAL: The primary purpose of his visit is to improve trading relations. | a matter of primary importance 2 [A] also elementary AmE (of education, a teacher etc) for children between 5 and 11 years old → compare SECONDARY 3 [A] earliest in time or order of development: In the primary stages of their civilization, they had no metal tools.
pri·ma·ry² n (especially in the US) an election at which the members of a political party in a particular area vote for the person that they would like to see as their party's CANDIDATE for a political office
,primary 'care n [U] basic medical treatment that you receive from a doctor who is not a SPECIALIST
,primary 'colour n any of three colours (red, yellow, and blue) from which all other colours can be made by mixing
,primary 'health care also ,primary 'medical care n [U] the first kind of official medical care which a person receives. In Britain and the US, this is usually care from the local or family doctor (GP) or the CASUALTY department of a hospital: Training programmes for doctors ensure that advice about a healthy diet and lifestyle will be available from primary health care.
'primary ,school n 1 BrE a school for children between 5 and 11 years old in England and Wales, often divided into an INFANT SCHOOL (5–7) and a JUNIOR SCHOOL (7–11) → compare SECONDARY SCHOOL and see Feature on page A13 2 AmE an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
,primary 'stress also ,primary 'accent n. [C;U] tech the strongest force (STRESS) given in speech to part of a compound or long word, and shown in this dictionary by the mark '. In the word 'primary', the primary stress falls on the first syllable ('pri-').
pri·mate /'praɪmeɪt/ n a member of the most highly developed group of MAMMALS, which includes human beings, monkeys, and related animals
Pri·mate, primate /'praɪmeɪt/ n the most important and powerful priest in a country or an area, especially in the Church of England; ARCHBISHOP
prime¹ /praɪm/ n 1 [(the) S] the state or time of someone's or something's greatest perfection, strength, or activity: He was about 40 years old, and in the prime of life. | She is still good-looking, but she's past her prime. | Many young soldiers have been cut off in their prime. (=killed in battle while still young) 2 [C] tech a PRIME NUMBER
prime² adj 1 [A] first in position or importance; chief: A prime reason for our economic decline is lack of investment. This is a matter of prime importance. 2 [A] of the very best quality or kind: This is a prime (=very clear) example of the waste I've been talking about. | a succulent piece of prime beef 3 tech being a prime number: 7 and 13 are prime, but 12 isn't. 4 connected with a standard of meat in the US, set by the FDA: a roast labelled prime beef
prime³ v [T] 1 to cover (a surface) with a first spreading of especially paint, as a base for the main painting → see also PRIMER 2 [(with)] to instruct in advance, especially in how to ask or answer difficult questions: The witness at the trial had been carefully primed by defence lawyers. 3 to put explosive powder into (a gun of the old-fashioned type) so that it can be fired → see also PRIMER 4 [(with)] to prepare (a machine for working by filling it with water, oil etc 5 prime the pump infml to encourage the growth of an inactive business or industry by putting money into it