adj. prim·mer, prim·mest 1. a. Precise or proper to the point of affectation; excessively decorous. b. Strait-laced; prudish. 2. Neat and trim: a prim hedgerow. v. primmed, prim·ming, prims v.tr. 1. To fix (the face or mouth) in a prim expression. 2. To make prim, as in dress or appearance. v.intr. To assume a prim expression. [Possibly from obsolete prim, formal or demure person, perhaps from Old French prin, first, delicate; see PRIME.] primly adv. primness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. A privet. [Short for obsolete primprint, of unknown origin.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.