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First   /fərst/   Listen
adjective
First  adj.  
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."
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 First 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!"
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.
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.
Synonyms: Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest; chief; principal; foremost.


noun
First  n.  (Mus.) The upper part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or instrumental; so called because it generally expresses the air, and has a preeminence in the combined effect.


adverb
First  adv.  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."
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."





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"First" Quotes from Famous Books



... shy that Beethoven said no more, but seated himself quietly before the piano and began to play. He had no sooner struck the first chord than I knew what would follow. Never, during all the years I knew him, did I hear him play as he then played to that blind girl and her brother. He seemed to be inspired; and, from the instant that his fingers began to wander along the keys, the very tones of the instrument ...
— The Ontario Readers - Third Book • Ontario Ministry of Education
... gods of the Heavens. She sent out the fairies in their garments of seven colors with baskets, that they might pick the peaches. The caretaker said to them: "The garden has now been entrusted to the guardianship of the Great Saint Who is Heaven's Equal, so you will first have to announce yourselves to him." With that he led the seven fairies into the garden. There they looked everywhere for the Great Saint, but could not find him. So the fairies said: "We have our orders and must not be late. We will begin picking ...
— The Chinese Fairy Book • Various
... see this smoke speech written in the air. Because of the isolation of his house, no one came and told him. His first warning was when shrill voices of women, cries of children, and wailings of babes in nameless fear came to him from the main path that led from the village to the upland boundaries of Somo. He read only ...
— Jerry of the Islands • Jack London
... in the first place, I dislike to move. In the next place, the climate is good. In the third place, the political atmosphere has been growing better of late, and when you consider that I avoid one dislike and reap the benefits of two likes, you ...
— The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Volume VIII. - Interviews • Robert Green Ingersoll
... of the many lengthy writings backward and forward between the different authorities concerning the woman who was expecting a child. The local authorities had let her go free while the matter was pending, for two reasons: in the first place, they had no lock-up in the village where they could keep her, and, in the second place, they wished to be as lenient as possible. The consequence was something they could not have foreseen. Later, when they had sent to fetch her away, no one had inquired about her ...
— Growth of the Soil • Knut Hamsun


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