primary=a perliminary election

[vil]

Dear teachers and NES,

A short while back I have read a sentence, which focused my attention on the transfiguration of an adjective in a noun.

"The first direct primary is held in US, in Minnesota."

I know that the word "primary" is an adjective with a few different meanings, as:
1. first or highest in rank or importance chief, principal
"his primary goal in life"
2. first in order in any series, sequence, etc.
3. first in time, earliest, primitives
4. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of primary school
"the primary grades"
5. constituting or belonging to the first stage in any process
6, of the nature of the ultimate or simpler constituents of which something complex is made up
7. originals not derived, or subordinates fundamental, basis
8. immediate or direct

I know that the word "primary" also is a noun with a few different meanings, as:

1. one that is first in time, order, or sequence
2. one that is first or best in degree, quality or importance e.t.c

There are in my dictionary a few complex nouns ,which are relevant to "primary" ,as:

primary election
primary meeting
primary assembly
primary battery
primary school
primary tenses
primary amputations

In our concrete example, which was mentioned above, the word "primary" is a noun. This word with this meaning was nowhere to be founded in my numerous dictionary . Finally I tracked it with the help of my computer.

primary (n) = the United State, a preliminary election in which the candidate of a party is nominated directly by the voters.

Could you tell me whether this word as noun with this meaning stand good only for Unit States?

In the meantime, I remembered another complex noun, namely "runoff election".

Could I, by analogy, to constitute a sentence, which contains the word "runoff", which takes independent action without "election" similarly as in our example, which was mentioned above, "primary" is used without "election".

"The first direct primary(elections) was held in the US, Minnesota. "
"The first runoff (elections) is used in the US State of Louisiana."

I presume, you couldn't.

"Runoff " have another meaning, namely: the procedure of printing the end -of-day prices for every stock on in exchange onto ticker tape.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

V.

[Hi_there_Carl]

You could do it but as you suggest the meaning may be ambiguous. I have see the word "runoff" used without the word "election" commonly in headlines where space is a premium. Incidentally the term runoff also means rain water drainage.

[vil]

Hi Hi-there-Carl,

Thank you for your large-hearted reply. I'm much obliged to you for sharing of the other meaning of the noun "runoff". Thank you also for the using of the new for me word "premium".

I'm looking to hearing something new and interesting from you soon.

Regards.

V.