first

[ furst ]

/ fɜrst /

adjective

being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president.

Music. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: first alto; first horn.

Automotive. low¹(def 31).

(often initial capital letter) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the U.S. or of the governor of a state: the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog.

adverb

before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.

before some other thing, event, etc.: If you're going, phone first.

for the first time: She first visited Atlanta in 1980.

in preference to something else; rather; sooner: I'd die first.

in the first place; firstly.

noun

the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.

the beginning.

the first part; first member of a series.

Music.

the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, especially in an orchestra or chorus.
a leader of a part or group of performers.

Automotive. low gear; first gear: She shifted into first and drove off.

the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.

Baseball. first base.

Usually firsts. Commerce.

a product or goods of the first or highest quality.
goods produced according to specifications, without visible flaws.

Compare second¹(def 23), third(def 12).

British University.

first-class honors.Compare class(def 18).
a person who has won such honors.

Idioms for first

first and last, everything considered; above all else; altogether: First and last, it is important to know oneself.

first off, Informal. at the outset; immediately: He wanted to know first off why he hadn't been notified.

first thing, before anything else; at once; promptly: I'll call you first thing when I arrive.

Origin of first

before 1000; Middle English; Old English fyr(e)st (see fore¹, -est¹); cognate with German Fürst prince

OTHER WORDS FROM first

first·ness, adjective

Words nearby first

firn, firn line, firnification, firozabad, firry, first, first aid, first amendment, first and foremost, first and last, first axiom of countability

Example sentences from the Web for first

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.

Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers |Michael Schulson |July 27, 2016 |DAILY BEAST
In the first episode, an officer is shown video of himself shooting and killing a man.

'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops |Melissa Leon |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
But since those rosy scenarios were first floated, the California political scene has grown more crowded.

The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races |David Freedlander |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Eric Garcetti succeeded Villaraigosa and has received high marks in his first year and a half on the job.

The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races |David Freedlander |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

He sees himself as the first Muslim president of all Europe.

Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President |Pierre Assouline |January 9, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Here at Holkham Bay in 1876 began the first placer gold-mining in Alaska.

America, Volume 6 (of 6) |Joel Cook
The first abstract of votes polled in St. Croix county was for delegate to Congress and for county officers.

Fifty Years In The Northwest |William Henry Carman Folsom
The sound of merry voices and laughing came from within, and his first hesitating knock was unanswered.

Tom Brown's School Days |Thomas Hughes
His "Main Traveled Roads," the first of many editions appearing in 1891, made him famous.

Prairie Gold |Various
After the first moment she did not look at Julian; she looked away from him out of the window.

The Second Fiddle |Phyllis Bottome

British Dictionary definitions for first

first

/ (fɜːst) /

adjective (usually prenominal)

coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
(as noun)I was the first to arrive

preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one . Often written: 1st

rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels

denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

music

denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestrafirst soprano; the first violins
denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral sectionhe plays first horn

first thing as the first action of the day I'll see you first thing tomorrow

first things first things must be done in order of priority

the first thing (in negative constructions) even one thing he doesn't know the first thing about me

noun

the beginning; outset I knew you were a rogue from the first; I couldn't see at first because of the mist

education, mainly British an honours degree of the highest class Full term: first-class honours degree

something which has not occurred before a first for the company

the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear

music

the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra
the instrument or voice taking such a part
the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal

music a rare word for prime (def. 11)

adverb

before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc do this first; first, remove the head and tail of the fish

first and last on the whole; overall

from first to last throughout

for the first time I've loved you since I first saw you

(sentence modifier) in the first place or beginning of a series of actions first I want to talk about criminality

Word Origin for first

Old English fyrest; related to Old Saxon furist, Old Norse fyrstr, German Fürst prince, one who is first in rank

Medical definitions for first

first

[ fûrst ]

adj.

Coming before all others in order or location.

Occurring or acting before all others in time; earliest.

Being the innermost digit, especially on a foot.

Other words from first

first n.

Idioms and Phrases with first

first

In addition to the idioms beginning with first

first and foremost
first and last
first blush
first come, first served
first cousin
first hand
first of all
first off
first thing
first things first

also see:

at first
at first blush
at first hand
cast the first stone
get to first base
if at first you don't succeed
in the first place
in the (first) flush of
love at first sight
not know beans (the first thing)
of the first water
on a first-name basis

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

first

adjective

adverb

noun

Idioms for first

Origin of first

OTHER WORDS FROM first

Words nearby first

Example sentences from the Web for first

British Dictionary definitions for first

adjective (usually prenominal)

noun

adverb

Word Origin for first

Medical definitions for first

adj.

Other words from first

Idioms and Phrases with first

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

first

adjective

adverb

noun

Idioms for first

Origin of first

OTHER WORDS FROM first

Words nearby first

Words related to first

Example sentences from the Web for first

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for first

adjective (usually prenominal)

noun

adverb

Word Origin for first

Medical definitions for first

adj.

Other words from first

Idioms and Phrases with first

British Dictionary definitions for first