Prime n.
 1. The first part; the earliest stage; the beginning or opening, as of the day, the year, etc.; hence, the dawn; the spring.
    In the very prime of the world.   --Hooker.
    Hope waits upon the flowery prime.   --Waller.
 2. The spring of life; youth; hence, full health, strength, or beauty; perfection. “Cut off in their prime.” --Eustace. “The prime of youth.”
 3. That which is first in quantity; the most excellent portion; the best part.
    Give him always of the prime.   --Swift.
 4.  The morning; specifically R. C. Ch., the first canonical hour, succeeding to lauds.
    Early and late it rung, at evening and at prime.   --Spenser.
 Note: ☞ Originally, prime denoted the first quarter of the artificial day, reckoned from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m.  Afterwards, it denoted the end of the first quarter, that is, 9 a. m. Specifically, it denoted the first canonical hour, as now. Chaucer uses it in all these senses, and also in the sense of def. 1, above.
    They sleep till that it was pryme large.   --Chaucer.
 5. Fencing The first of the chief guards.
 6. Chem. Any number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element; -- so called because these numbers were respectively reduced to their lowest relative terms on the fixed standard of hydrogen as 1. [Obs. or Archaic]
 7. Arith. A prime number. See under Prime, a.
 8. An inch, as composed of twelve seconds in the duodecimal system; -- denoted by [´]. See 2d Inch, n., 1.
 Prime of the moon, the new moon at its first appearance.