The primogenitive and due of birth.
Shak.
Pri`mo*gen"i*tor (?), n. [LL., fr. L. primus first + genitor a
begetter.] The first ancestor; a forefather.
Pri`mo*gen"i*ture (?; 135), n. [LL., fr. L. primus first + genitura a
begetting, birth, generation, fr. genere, gignere, to beget: cf. F.
primogÈniture, L. primogenitus firstborn. See Prime, a., and Genus,
Kin.] 1. The state of being the firstborn of the same parents;
seniority by birth among children of the same family.
2. (Eng. Law) The exclusive right of inheritance which belongs to the
eldest son. Thus in England the right of inheriting the estate of the
father belongs to the eldest son, and in the royal family the eldest
son of the sovereign is entitled to the throne by primogeniture. In
exceptional cases, among the female children, the crown descends by
right of primogeniture to the eldest daughter only and her issue.
Blackstone.
Pri`mo*gen"i*ture*ship (?), n. The state or privileges of the
firstborn. Burke.
Pri*mor"di*al (?), a. [L. primordialis, from primordium the first
beginning; primus first + ordiri to begin a web, to begin: cf. F.
primordial.] 1. First in order; primary; original; of earliest origin;
as, primordial condition. "The primordial facts of our intelligent
nature." Sir W. Hamilton.
2. (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the lowest beds of the Silurian age,
corresponding to the Acadian and Potsdam periods in American geology.
It is called also Cambrian, and by many geologists is separated from
the Silurian.
3. (Biol.) Originally or earliest formed in the growth of an individual
or organ; as, a primordial leaf; a primordial cell.
Primordial utricle (Bot.), the interior lining of a young vegetable
cell.
Pri*mor"di*al, n. A first principle or element.
Pri*mor"di*al*ism (?), n. Devotion to, or persistence in, conditions of
the primordial state. H. Spencer.
Pri*mor"di*al*ly, adv. At the beginning; under the first order of
things; originally.
Pri*mor"di*an (?), n. [L. primordius first of all, fr. primordium.]
(Bot.) A name given to several kinds of plums; as, red primordian,
amber primordian, etc.
Pri*mor"di*ate (?), a. Primordial. [R.] Boyle.
Primp (?), v. i. & t. [Cf. Prim, a.] To be formal or affected in dress
or manners; -- often with up. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Halliwell.
Prim"rose` (?), n. [OE. primerole, F. primerole, a derivative fr. LL.
primula, from L. primus first. See Prime, a.] (Bot.) (a) An early
flowering plant of the genus Primula (P. vulgaris) closely allied to
the cowslip. There are several varieties, as the white-, the red-, the
yellow-flowered, etc. Formerly called also primerole, primerolles. (b)
Any plant of the genus Primula.
Evening primrose, an erect biennial herb (Enothera biennis), with
yellow vespertine flowers, common in the United States. The name is
sometimes extended to other species of the same genus. -- Primrose
peerless, the two-flowered Narcissus (N. biflorus). [Obs.]
Prim"rose`, a. Of or pertaining to the primrose; of the color of a
primrose; -- hence, flowery; gay. "The primrose path of dalliance."
Shak.
||Prim"u*la (?), n. [LL. See Primrose.] (Bot.) The genus of plants
||including the primrose (Primula vera).
Prim`u*la"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to an order of
herbaceous plants (PrimulaceÊ), of which the primrose is the type, and
the pimpernel, the cyclamen, and the water violet are other examples.
||Pri"mum mob"i*le (?). [L., first cause of motion.] (Astron.) In the
||Ptolemaic system, the outermost of the revolving concentric spheres
||constituting the universe, the motion of which was supposed to carry
||with it all the inclosed spheres with their planets in a daily
||revolution from east to west. See Crystalline heavens, under
||Crystalline.
The motions of the greatest persons in a government ought to be, as
the motions of the planets, under primum mobile.
Bacon.
||Pri"mus (?), n. [L., the first.] One of the bishops of the Episcopal
||Church of Scotland, who presides at the meetings of the bishops, and
||has certain privileges but no metropolitan authority. Internat. Cyc.
Prim"y (?), a. [From Prime, a.] Being in its prime. [Obs.] "The youth
of primy nature." Shak.
Prince (?), n. [F., from L. princeps, -cipis, the first, chief; primus
first + capere to take. See Prime, a., and Capacious.] 1. The one of
highest rank; one holding the highest place and authority; a sovereign;
a monarch; - - originally applied to either sex, but now rarely applied
to a female. Wyclif (Rev. i. 5).
Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince.
Milton.
Queen Elizabeth, a prince admirable above her sex.
Camden.
2. The son of a king or emperor, or the issue of a royal family; as,
princes of the blood. Shak.
3. A title belonging to persons of high rank, differing in different
countries. In England it belongs to dukes, marquises, and earls, but is
given to members of the royal family only. In Italy a prince is
inferior to a duke as a member of a particular order of nobility; in
Spain he is always one of the royal family.
4. The chief of any body of men; one at the head of a class or
profession; one who is preÎminent; as, a merchant prince; a prince of
players. "The prince of learning." Peacham.
Prince-Albert coat, a long double-breasted frock coat for men. --
Prince of the blood, Prince consort, Prince of darkness. See under
Blood, Consort, and Darkness. -- Prince of Wales, the oldest son of the
English sovereign. -- Prince's feather (Bot.), a name given to two
annual herbs (Amarantus caudatus and Polygonum orientale), with
apetalous reddish flowers arranged in long recurved panicled spikes. --
Prince's metal, Prince Rupert's metal. See under Metal. Prince's pine.
(Bot.) See Pipsissewa.
Prince, v. i. To play the prince. [R.] Shak.
Prince"dom (?), n. The jurisdiction, sovereignty, rank, or estate of a
prince.
Thrones, princedoms, powers, dominions, I reduce.
Milton.
Prince"hood (?), n. Princeliness. [Obs.] E. Hall.
Prince"kin (?), n. A petty prince; a princeling.
The princekins of private life.
Thackeray.
Prince"less, a. Without a prince. Fuller.