Prime the pump Definition 1 of 3Pro Tip 1/3Economic Focus Used when discussing financial measures to boost economic activity. To overcome the recession, the government must prime the pump. Pro Tip 2/3Government Action Often used to describe government investment to encourage economic growth. During the crisis, central banks primed the pump with lower interest rates. Pro Tip 3/3Initial Investment Implies an initial infusion of cash to get financial returns later. They decided to prime the pump with a hefty marketing budget.