priming

/ˈpraɪmɪŋ/
verb
  1. To prepare someone or something for a particular purpose or situation.
    • The manager primed the team for the big presentation with a practice session.
    • The teacher primed the students with key vocabulary before the reading assignment.
    • They primed the pump by pouring water into it to get it started.
  2. To apply a first coat of paint or other substance to a surface.
    • Make sure you prime the wood so the finish will be smooth.
    • He primed the metal railing to prevent rust from showing through.
    • We need to prime the walls before we paint them a new color.
  3. To make something ready to work or operate, especially by adding fuel or water.
    • You have to prime the lawn mower before it will start on a cold morning.
    • The mechanic primed the engine by pouring a little gas into the carburetor.
    • She primed the water pump to get the water flowing again.
Synonyms
noun
  1. The act of preparing someone or something for a particular purpose or situation.
    • Good priming before a test can help you remember information more easily.
    • The coach's pre-game speech was a form of priming to get the team focused.
    • The teacher used priming activities to get students ready for the new lesson.
  2. A first coat of paint or other substance applied to a surface to prepare it for the final coat.
    • You need to apply a layer of priming before you paint the wall.
    • He spent the afternoon doing the priming on the fence.
    • The priming on the wood helps the topcoat stick better and last longer.
  3. In psychology, the process by which exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a later stimulus.
    • Priming can affect how quickly you recognize a word after seeing a related word.
    • Priming in memory research shows that our brains make quick connections between ideas.
    • The experiment studied priming by showing pictures of food before asking about hunger.