FIRST
first, foremost, world-class
(adjective) ranking above all others; “was first in her class”; “the foremost figure among marine artists”; “the top graduate”
first, beginning(a)
(adjective) serving to begin; “the beginning canto of the poem”; “the first verse”
inaugural, initiative, initiatory, first, maiden
(adjective) serving to set in motion; “the magazine’s inaugural issue”; “the initiative phase in the negotiations”; “an initiatory step toward a treaty”; “his first (or maiden) speech in Congress”; “the liner’s maiden voyage”
first
(adjective) preceding all others in time or space or degree; “the first house on the right”; “the first day of spring”; “his first political race”; “her first baby”; “the first time”; “the first meetings of the new party”; “the first phase of his training”
first
(adjective) highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; “first soprano”; “the first violin section”; “played first horn”
first, st
(adjective) indicating the beginning unit in a series
first, firstly, foremost, first of all, first off
(adverb) before anything else; “first we must consider the garter snake”
first
(adverb) the initial time; “when Felix first saw a garter snake”
foremost, first
(adverb) prominently forward; “he put his best foot foremost”
first
(adverb) before another in time, space, or importance; “I was here first”; “let’s do this job first”
first, first-class honours degree
(noun) an honours degree of the highest class
first, number one, number
(noun) the first element in a countable series; “the first of the month”
first, number one
(noun) the first or highest in an ordering or series; “He wanted to be the first”
beginning, commencement, first, outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time, showtime, offset
(noun) the time at which something is supposed to begin; “they got an early start”; “she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Adjective
first (not generally comparable, superlative firstmost)
Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.
Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest.
Adverb
first (not comparable)
Before anything else; firstly.
For the first time;
Synonyms
• See also firstly
Noun
first (countable and uncountable, plural firsts)
(uncountable) The person or thing in the first position.
(uncountable) The first gear of an engine.
(countable) Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.
(countable, baseball) first base
(countable, British, colloquial) A first-class honours degree.
(countable, colloquial) A first-edition copy of some publication.
A fraction of an integer ending in one.
Etymology 2
Noun
first (plural firsts)
(obsolete) Time; time granted; respite.
Anagrams
• FTIRs, SIRTF, frist, frits, rifts
Proper noun
First
A surname.
Anagrams
• FTIRs, SIRTF, frist, frits, rifts
Source: Wiktionary
First, a. Etym: [OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr,
Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form
of E. for, fore. See For, Fore, and cf. Formeer, Foremost.]
1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one;
earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign.
2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others.
3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as,
Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece. At first blush. See under
Blush.
– At first hand, from the first or original source; without the
intervention of any agent.
It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by way
of mouth, to yourself. Dickens.
– First coat (Plastering), the solid foundation of coarse stuff, on
which the rest is placed; it is thick, and crossed with lines, so as
to give a bond for the next coat.
– First day, Sunday; -- so called by the Friends.
– First floor. (a) The ground floor. [U.S.] (b) The floor next
above the ground floor. [Eng.] -- First fruit or fruits. (a) The
fruits of the season earliest gathered. (b) (Feudal Law) One year's
profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who
held directly from him. (c) (Eng. Eccl. Law) The first year's whole
profits of a benefice or spiritual living. (d) The earliest effects
or results.
See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted
grace in man! Milton.
– First mate, an officer in a merchant vessel next in rank to the
captain.
– First name, same as Christian name. See under Name, n.
– First officer (Naut.), in the merchant service, same as First
mate (above).
– First sergeant (Mil.), the ranking non-commissioned officer in a
company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow.
– First watch (Naut.), the watch from eight to twelve at midnight;
also, the men on duty during that time.
– First water, the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of
gems, especially of diamond and pearls.
Syn.
– Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest;
chief; principal; foremost.
First, adv.
Definition: Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; --
much used in composition with adjectives and participles.
Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Tim. ii. 13.
At first, At the first, at the beginning or origin.
– First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end.
And all are fools and lovers first or last. Dryden.
First, n. (Mus.)
Definition: The upper part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or
instrumental; -- so called because it generally expresses the air,
and has a preëminence in the combined effect.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition