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3 7.9
To try to defeat a politician who already holds the office in a primary election
  • verb
  • /ˈpraɪˌmɛri/
  • US
translation icon : desafiar en las primarias
  • If you want McConnell out, primary him and defeat him.
  • get primaried
  • to primary a sitting president

Examples

  • Moderate Republicans like Indiana's Dick Lugar were primaried by loons who lost on Tuesday to Democrats.

    Blog text (17)
  • His capitulations to the liberals in Congress almost make me hope he gets primaried by a real conservative like Buchanan.

    Blog text (30)
  • In 2008, the party would not primary him.

    Blog text (30)
  • They say if you did, you would you would immediately face a primary challenge in your district.

  • Now that it is the general election, some people say, "You should have primaried him!"

    Blog text (27)
  • If control is what is needed, don't primary her.

    Blog text (26)
  • Obama must either be primaried or somehow convinced to resign.

    Blog text (30)
  • From what I hear, Chambliss is most likely to be primaried.

    Blog text (26)
  • Progressives didn't have to primary Obama to put pressure on him.

    Blog text (12)
  • In order to secure her position, she decided to primary her opponent in the upcoming election.

Compounds

47 3.0

Basic medical help people get first from a family doctor

A school for children aged five to eleven where they learn basic subjects

A doctor you see first for health problems who gives general care and arranges specialist help

12 3.2

An early election where party voters choose candidates for the general election

5 2.2

A basic color like red, blue, or yellow that you mix to make other colors

open primary
  • Literature
5 6.4

An early election before the main vote where any registered voter can vote for candidates of only one party

A doctor or nurse you see first for health problems and regular check-ups

primary health care
  • Specialized
2 3.0

Basic health care you get first from a doctor or community clinic for everyday needs

2 7.2

An election to choose a party candidate in which only registered members of the party can vote

primary cell
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A small battery that you throw away after one use

primary feather
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A long part of a bird's wing at the outer edge that helps the bird fly

A child's first tooth that falls out when an adult one grows

clown-car primary
  • Offensive
9.9

An election with too many messy candidates that makes it hard to pick one

A primary election where voters choose candidates instead of party officials

primary amenorrhea
  • Specialized
9.6

A girl who has not started her first period by the age of 18

5.3

A lung infection in children and young adults that causes high fever and cough

9.1

Military officers check soldiers' personal letters and messages for secret information

primary quill
  • Specialized
8.9

A long outer flight feather on a bird's wing that helps it fly

primary sex character
  • Specialized
8.8

Body parts used for having babies, like genitals, that show if someone is male or female

5.2

A body part you are born with that helps make babies, like genitals or ovaries

3.5

One of three main colors of light, like red, green or blue

primary coil
  • Specialized
6.2

A loop of wire where changing electric current makes a magnetic field that creates current in a nearby loop

One of the three basic paint colours red, blue and yellow used to make other colours

primary dentition
  • Specialized
4.4

The first set of baby teeth that children have

primary dysmenorrhea
  • Specialized
6.3

Painful cramps in the lower belly that happen during a normal period

A body part you are born with that is used to make babies, like genitals

7.5

A solid metal in which atoms of other elements mix evenly into its structure

One of three colors, magenta, cyan and yellow, used in printing to make many colors by removing light

primary syphilis
  • Specialized
5.8

The first stage of syphilis when a painless sore appears at the infection site

primary winding
  • Specialized
7.0

A coil that receives input electricity and causes a changing current in the secondary coil

Surface Forms

primary infinitive
primaryed past
primaryed past participle
primarying present participle
primaries third person singular

Etymology

Primary (as in being 'primaried') comes from the election primary, from Latin primus 'first', so to be 'primaried' is to be challenged in that 'first' party contest.