Privet \Priv"et\, n. [Cf. Scot. privie, Prov. E. prim-print,
   primwort. Prob. for primet, and perh. named from being cut
   and trimmed. See, Prim, a., and cf. Prime to prune,
   Prim, n., Prie, n.] (Bot.)
   An ornamental European shrub (Ligustrum vulgare), much used
   in hedges; -- called also prim.
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   Egyptian privet. See Lawsonia.

   Evergreen privet, a plant of the genus Rhamnus. See
      Alatern.

   Mock privet, any one of several evergreen shrubs of the
      genus Phillyrea. They are from the Mediterranean region,
      and have been much cultivated for hedges and for
      fancifully clipped shrubberies.
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	Prim \Prim\, n. [See Privet.] (Bot)
   The privet.
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	Prim \Prim\, a. [OF. prim, prin, prime, first, principal. sharp,
   thin, piercing, fr. L. primus first. See Prime, a.]
   Formal; precise; affectedly neat or nice; as, prim
   regularity; a prim person. --Swift.
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	Prim \Prim\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Primmed; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Primming.]
   To deck with great nicety; to arrange with affected
   preciseness; to prink.
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	Prim \Prim\, v. i.
   To dress or act smartly. [R.]
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	prim
    adj 1: affectedly dainty or refined [syn: dainty, mincing,
           niminy-piminy, prim, twee]
    2: exaggeratedly proper; "my straitlaced Aunt Anna doesn't
       approve of my miniskirts" [syn: priggish, prim, prissy,
       prudish, puritanical, square-toed, straitlaced,
       strait-laced, straightlaced, straight-laced, tight-
       laced, victorian]
    v 1: assume a prim appearance; "They mince and prim"
    2: contract one's lips; "She primmed her lips after every bite
       of food"
    3: dress primly [syn: prim, prim up, prim out]

	

	49 Moby Thesaurus words for "prim":
   Quakerish, Victorian, bluenosed, buckram, censorious, ceremonial,
   ceremonious, chipper, conventional, correct, decorous, demure,
   formal, genteel, hidebound, in buckram, mid-Victorian, narrow,
   neat, nice, old-maidish, orderly, overmodest, precise, prig,
   priggish, prissy, proper, prudish, puritanical, rigid,
   sanctimonious, shipshape, smug, snug, spick-and-span, starch,
   starched, stiff, stiff-necked, stilted, straight, straitlaced,
   stuffy, tidy, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed, wooden