primero

English

Etymology

From Spanish primera, from primero (“first”), from Latin primarius. See premier.

Noun

primero (uncountable)

1. An old card game resembling poker.

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Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for primero in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)

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Spanish

Spanish ordinal numbers

	1.º	2.º  >
Cardinal : uno     Ordinal : primero

Alternative forms

• (adjective, first): (abbreviation) 1.º m, 1.ª f

Etymology

From Latin prīmārius. Doublet of primario.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɾiˈmeɾo/
• Hyphenation: pri‧me‧ro

Noun

primero m (plural primeros)

1. one of the five bids in the card game of Primero, consisting of a combination of four cards in the hand

Adjective

primero (feminine singular primera, masculine plural primeros, feminine plural primeras)

1. first
2. chief; fundamental
3. prime

Usage notes

Most Spanish adjectives appear after the modified noun when used attributively. Forms of primero, however, can appear before the modified noun.

When used before a modified masculine singular noun, the apocopate form primer is used instead of primero:

Es el primer hijo. — “[He] is the first son.”

Es el hijo primero. — “[He] is the first son.”

This adjective is often used substantively, with the modified noun implied but omitted.

¿Cuál hijo es? Es el primero. — “Which son is [he]? [He] is the first [son].”

Adverb

primero

1. first

Further reading

• “primero” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.