Definition of "priming" [prim•ing]

• The act of one that primes. (noun)
• The explosive used to ignite a charge. (noun)
• A preliminary coat of paint or size applied to a surface. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "What I have seen is about as fine in grain as what we call priming powder in the navy."
• "Saying that Keynesian pump-priming is like trickle-down theory is like saying that modern surgical practice is like Medieval theory of bodily humors."
• "Mr. MacQueen also said the Fed's monetary stimulus is likely to prevent deflation and that the pump-priming from the central bank, which has fueled a selloff in the U.S. dollar, raises the risks of longer-term inflation."