prime the pump

prime the pump
phrasal
: to take steps to encourage the growth, functioning, or expression of something; specifically : to attempt to stimulate employment or economic activity by government spending

this spending has not yet primed the pump — T.W.Arnold

— compare pump priming

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prime the pump phrase
to help a business or activity to be successful, especially by providing money at the start
Thesaurus: to help something to progresssynonym
Main entry: prime

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stimulate or support the growth or success of something by supplying it with money

capital from overseas that helps prime the U.S. economic pump

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prime the pump
: to do something that will help a thing to grow or develop

The government has to prime the pump to get the economy going.

That sort of language will only prime the pump for an ugly argument later.

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Main Entry:prime
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prime the pump — see prime, 3
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Main Entry:pump

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prime the ˈpump idiom
to encourage the growth of a new or weak business or industry by putting money into it
Main entry:primeidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • prime the pump — ► to provide money, encouragement, ideas, etc. to help something get started: »Venture capital needs to be raised to prime the pump of startups, which are long on ideas but short on cash. Main Entry: ↑prime …   Financial and business terms

  • prime the pump — ► prime the pump stimulate growth or success by supplying money. Main Entry: ↑prime …   English terms dictionary

  • prime the pump —    deliberately to cause inflation by excessive government spending    The fiscal theory, now largely discredited, is that higher taxation or borrowing spent on more public works will lead to economic growth without inflation or depreciating the… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • prime the pump — mainly American to do something in order to make something succeed, especially to spend money. European governments and banks are priming the pump world wide looking for alternative energy …   New idioms dictionary

  • prime the pump — stimulate growth or success by supplying money. → prime …   English new terms dictionary

  • prime the pump — idi a) to increase government expenditure in an effort to stimulate the economy b) to support or promote the operation or improvement of something …   From formal English to slang

  • prime the pump — phrasal to take steps to encourage the growth or functioning of something …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • prime the pump — to help a business or activity to be successful, especially by providing money at the start …   English dictionary

  • To prime a pump — Prime Prime, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Primed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Priming}.] [From {Prime}, a.] 1. To apply priming to, as a musket or a cannon; to apply a primer to, as a metallic cartridge. [1913 Webster] 2. To lay the first color, coating, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prime — Ⅰ. prime [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) of first importance; main. 2) of the best possible quality; excellent. 3) (of a number) divisible only by itself and one (e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7). ► NOUN 1) a time of greatest vigour or success in a person s life. 2) …   English terms dictionary

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