Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Belonging to the first or earliest age or ages; original or ancient.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Of or belonging to the first ages; original; primal; primitive.
- Synonyms Primitive, etc. See
primary .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Belonging to the first ages; pristine; original; primitive; primary.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Belonging to the first ages.
- adjective
Primary ;original . - adjective
Primitive .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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There might have been more heroic characters at the siege of Troy than Abraham Lincoln, but there was not one more strongly marked individually; not one his superior in what we call primeval craft and humor.
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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Herbert urged that he must at least admit that there was a freshness of legend and poetry in what we call the primeval peoples that is wanting now; the mythic period is gone, at any rate.
Backlog Studies Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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There might have been more heroic characters at the siege of Troy than Abraham Lincoln, but there was not one more strongly marked individually; not one his superior in what we call primeval craft and humor.
Backlog Studies Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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Herbert urged that he must at least admit that there was a freshness of legend and poetry in what we call the primeval peoples that is wanting now; the mythic period is gone, at any rate.
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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Martian civilization had burrowed underground at some point in primeval history, after the oceans, lakes, and rivers had dried up.
The Spy 2010
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March 26, 2009 at 5: 16 am primeval is the best and the the animals are the best
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Instead of the prime vegetables more fittingly described by the word primeval, artfully displayed in the window for the delectation of the military man and his fellow country-woman the nursemaid, honest
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Instead of the prime vegetables more fittingly described by the word primeval, artfully displayed in the window for the delectation of the military man and his fellow country-woman the nursemaid, honest Flicoteaux exhibited full salad-bowls adorned with many a rivet, or pyramids of stewed prunes to rejoice the sight of the customer, and assure him that the word
Lost Illusions Honor�� de Balzac 1824
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Instead of the prime vegetables more fittingly described by the word primeval, artfully displayed in the window for the delectation of the military man and his fellow country-woman the nursemaid, honest Flicoteaux exhibited full salad-bowls adorned with many a rivet, or pyramids of stewed prunes to rejoice the sight of the customer, and assure him that the word
A Distinguished Provincial at Paris Honor�� de Balzac 1824
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The patio of his hotel room opened onto an immaculate, dew-fresh lawn, shaded by massive mango and apple trees, that descended gently to the edge of what can only be described as a primeval forest.
Here Comes Another Lesson Stephen O’Connor 2010
pikachu commented on the word primeval
The smell of mud, of primeval mud, by Jove! was in my nostrils, the high stillness of the primeval forest was before my eyes.
--Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
March 9, 2011