PRIME. The fore part of the artificial day; that is, the first quarter after sunrise.
PRIME, To. To make ready a gun, mine, &c., for instantaneous firing. Also, to pierce the cartridge with the priming-wire, and apply the quill-tube in readiness for firing the cannon.—To prime a fire-ship. To lay the train for being set on fire.—To prime a match. Put a little wet bruised powder made into the paste called devil, upon the end of the rope slow-match, with a piece of paper wrapped round it.
PRIME VERTICAL. That great circle which passes through the zenith and the east and west points of the horizon.
PRIMING-IRONS. Consist of a pointed wire used through the vent to prick the cartridge when it is "home," and of a flat-headed one similarly inserted after discharge to insure its not retaining any ignited particles.
PRIMING-VALVES. The same with escape-valves.
PRINTED INSTRUCTIONS. The name of the volume formerly issued by the admiralty to all commanders of ships and vessels for their guidance; now superseded by Queen's Regulations.
PRISE, To. To raise, or slue, weighty bodies by means of a lever purchase or power. (See [Prizing].)
PRISE-BOLTS. Knobs of iron on the cheeks of a gun-carriage to keep the handspike from slipping when prising up the breech.
PRISM. In dioptrics, is a geometrical solid bounded by three parallelograms, whose bases are equal triangles.
PRISMATIC COMPASS. One so fitted with a glass prism for reading by reflection, that the eye can simultaneously observe an object and read its compass bearing.