prime mover

prime mover

The person or thing that generates the initial energy or momentum for something to happen. The newly elected congresswoman has been the prime mover in the recent environmental reforms. While there was a confluence of events leading to his removal from office, it was the revelation of his tax evasion that was the prime mover.
See also: mover, prime
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

prime mover

Fig. the force that sets something going; someone or something that starts something off. The assistant manager was the prime mover in getting the manager sacked. Discontent with his job was the prime mover in John's deciding to retire early.
See also: mover, prime
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

prime mover

The initial source of energy directed toward a goal, someone or something that sets others in motion. For example, Jean was the prime mover in getting us more laboratory space, or Patriotism was the prime mover of the revolution. [Late 1600s]
See also: mover, prime
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a prime ˈmover

a person or a thing that starts something and has an important influence on its development: The prime mover in setting up the group was ex-lawyer James Stanley. Economic factors are the prime mover of change.
See also: mover, prime
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a prime mover
  • lance
  • break a lance
  • lightning doesn't strike twice
  • lightning never strikes (the same place) twice
  • Lightning never strikes twice
  • indication
  • advance notice
  • a New York minute
  • a one-day wonder
References in periodicals archive
The predictable increases in activation of the RVC muscles, in addition to the non-significant prime mover muscle activation enhancement, coincided with a 6.1% to 13.9% mean performance enhancement of men's PT and RTD, respectively.
The simulation begins by computing prime mover performance over the range of allowable Part Load Ratio (PLR) values.
* the prime mover consumes fuel, generates electrical power, and waste heat, a substantial fraction of which is recovered by the heat recovery unit
Today's most ubiquitous mechanical prime mover -- installed in nearly a billion road and off-road vehicles, water vessels, airplanes, and countless machines and tools -- is the gasoline-fuelled internal combustion engine, fundamentally unchanged since the 1880s.
* Harmonics--because the control of the drive is made in the transmission with the prime mover, the electric motor, always rotating at its optimal speed, will not transmit harmonics back into the electrical supply net.
Appleby Westward has recently taken delivery of 6 prime movers and 4 drawbar trailers constructed by Abel Demountables, on a long-term contract hire package from logistics and transport company, Ryder.
Andre Laks gives a close, textual analysis of chapter 7, where Aristotle argues for the immobility, consciousness, necessity, and life of the prime mover. Against Berti, Laks argues on linguistic grounds that the prime mover need not be understood as an efficient cause.
We can safely assume that the lawsuit was the prime mover here.
The U.S civil aviation system is an awesomely big affair that moves far too many passengers every day for it to be possible to plug every leak without imposing crippling costs and delays on a prime mover of the country and the world.
NURSING A GRIEVANCE Six years ago the California Nurses Association--a militant union that has become a prime mover in campaigns for national healthcare reform, an ironclad patients' bill of rights and whistleblower protections for nurses--broke with the American Nurses Association.
Despite the ongoing gift of Ronald Reagan's tax cuts, Bill Clinton's embrace of NAFTA and GATT, and Silicon Valley's treasure chest of productivity-enhancing technological innovations, Greenspan was seen as the Prime Mover behind America's prosperity.
Simon Flexner (1863-1946), like his brother Abraham Flexner, was a prime mover in U.S.
The prime mover at DOJ on the Microsoft case, antitrust head Joe Klein, has recently announced that he is leaving to pursue other interests.
The prime mover behind "impingement" spraying is Magnum Industries, Clearwater, Fla.
No abstract proposition or remote Prime Mover in the sky, but God himself pitching his tent and dwelling with and in his people Israel.