prim
To make one's expression primTo make one's expression prim.
Recorded UK: Speaker: Vealhurl Recorder: Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
» That president's secretary is always prim.
Tatoeba contributors · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
3 senses(archaic, intransitive)To make one's expression prim.
assume a prim appearance
(archaic, transitive)To give a prim or demure expression to (one's face, mouth, or (rare) lips).
(archaic, transitive)To dress (one) up affectedly or demurely.
dress primly
Examples
3 sentencesThat president's secretary is always prim.
She was a rather prim and proper young lady.
Dora's sitting up on the seat as prim as you please. She always looks as if she'd just been starched and ironed.
Origin
Of uncertain origin.Of uncertain origin.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
prims, primming, primmed, primmedSynonyms
2 synonyms- dress primly:prim upprim out
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.