first
adj usually prenominal
a coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
b (as n)
I was the first to arrive
2 preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one. Often written: 1st
3 rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels
4 denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
a denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra
first soprano, the first violins
b denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral section
he plays first horn
6 ♦
first thing as the first action of the day
I'll see you first thing tomorrow
7 ♦
first things first things must be done in order of priority
8 ♦
the first thing, idea, etc. in negative constructions even one thing, etc.
he doesn't know the first thing about me
n
9 the beginning; outset
I knew you were a rogue from the first, I couldn't see at first because of the mist
10 (Education) (chiefly Brit) an honours degree of the highest class, (Full term)
first-class honours degree
11 the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear
a the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra
b the instrument or voice taking such a part
c the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal
13 (Music) a rare word for →
prime →
11
adv
14 before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc.
do this first, first, remove the head and tail of the fish
15 ♦
first and last on the whole; overall
16 ♦
from first to last throughout
17 for the first time
I've loved you since I first saw you
18 sentence modifier in the first place or beginning of a series of actions first I want to talk about criminality (See also)
→
firsts (Old English fyrest; related to Old Saxon furist, Old Norse fyrstr, German Fürst prince, one who is first in rank)
court of first instance
n a court in which legal proceedings are begun or first heard
double first
n (Brit) a first-class honours degree in two subjects
first aid
n
a immediate medical assistance given in an emergency
b (as modifier)
first-aid box
2 (in Barbados) a small shop that sells domestic items after hours
first base
n
a the base that a runner must reach safely to score a hit, and the first of the three bases he must reach safely on the way to home plate in order to score a run
b the fielding position nearest this base
2 ♦
get to first base
Informal (chiefly U.S. and Canadian) to accomplish the first step of an undertaking
first-born
adj
1 eldest of the children in a family
n
2 the eldest child in a family
first cause
n
1 a source or cause of something
2 often caps (esp. in philosophy) God considered as the uncaused creator of all beings apart from himself
first class
n
1 the class or grade of the best or highest value, quality, etc.
adj first-class when prenominal
2 of the best or highest class or grade
a first-class citizen
4 of or denoting the most comfortable and expensive class of accommodation in a hotel, aircraft, train, etc.
a (in Britain) of or relating to mail that is processed most quickly
b (in the U.S. and Canada) of or relating to mail that consists mainly of written letters, cards, etc.
6 (Education) See →
first →
10
adv
♦
first-class
7 by first-class mail, means of transportation, etc.
first-day cover
n (Philately) a cover, usually an envelope, postmarked on the first day of the issue of its stamps
first-degree burn
n (Pathol) See →
burn 1 →
22
First Empire
n the period of imperial rule in France (1804--14) under Napoleon Bonaparte
first estate
n the first of the three estates of the realm, such as the Lords Spiritual in England or the clergy in France until the revolution
First Fleet
n (Austral) the fleet of convict ships that arrived at Port Jackson in 1788
♦
First Fleeter n
first floor
n
1 (Brit) the floor or storey of a building immediately above the ground floor, (U.S. and Canadian term)
second floor
2 (U.S. and Canadian) another term for →
ground floor
first-foot (Chiefly Scot)
n (also)
♦
first-footer
1 the first person to enter a household in the New Year. By Hogmanay tradition a dark-haired man who crosses the threshold at midnight brings good luck
vb
2 to enter (a house) as first-foot
♦
first-footing n
first four ships
pl n (N.Z.)
1 the earliest settlers' ships to arrive in the Canterbury Province
2 ♦
come with the first four ships to be a founder member of Canterbury
first fruits
pl n
1 the first results, products, or profits of an undertaking
2 fruit that ripens first
first-hand
adj
adv
1 from the original source; direct or directly
first-hand news, he got the news first-hand
2 ♦
at first hand from the original source; directly
First International
n an association of socialists and labour leaders founded in London in 1864 and dissolved in Philadelphia in 1876, (Official name)
International Workingmens Association
first lady
n often caps
1 (in the U.S.) the wife or official hostess of a chief executive, esp. of a state governor or a president
2 a woman considered to be at the top of her profession or art
the first lady of jazz
first language
n a person's native language
first lieutenant
n
1 the officer responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a warship, esp. the executive officer of a smaller ship in the Royal Navy
2 an officer holding commissioned rank in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, or in certain other forces, senior to a second lieutenant and junior to a captain
first light
n the time when light first appears in the morning; dawn
first-loss policy
n an insurance policy for goods in which a total loss is extremely unlikely and the insurer agrees to provide cover for a sum less than the total value of the property
first mate
n an officer second in command to the captain of a merchant ship, (Also called)
first officer
First Minister
n
1 the chief minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2 the chief minister of the Scottish Parliament
first mortgage
n a mortgage that has priority over other mortgages on the same property, except for taxation and other statutory liabilities
First Mover
n the Aristotelian conception of God as the unmoved mover of everything else
first name
n a name given to a person at birth, as opposed to a surname, (Also called)
Christian name, forename, given name
First Nation
n (Canadian) another name for →
band 1 →
5
first night
n
a the first public performance of a play or other production
b (as modifier)
first-night nerves
first-nighter
n a member of an opening night audience, esp. one who habitually attends first nights
first offender
n a person convicted of any criminal offence for the first time
first officer
n
1 another name for →
first mate
2 the member of an aircraft crew who is second in command to the captain
first-order
adj (Logic) quantifying only over individuals and not over predicates or clauses: first-order predicate calculus studies the logical properties of such quantification
first-past-the-post
n modifier of or relating to a voting system in which a candidate may be elected by a simple majority rather than an absolute majority
Compare →
proportional representation
first person
n a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used by the speaker to refer to or talk about himself, either alone (first person singular) or together with others (first person plural)
first post
n (Brit) the first of two military bugle calls ordering or giving notice of the time to retire for the night. The second is called last post
first principle
n usually pl
1 one of the fundamental assumptions on which a particular theory or procedure is thought to be based
2 an axiom of a mathematical or scientific theory
first quarter
n one of the four principal phases of the moon, occurring between new moon and full moon, when half of the lighted surface is visible from earth
Compare →
last quarter
first-rate
adj
1 of the best or highest rated class or quality
2 Informal very good; excellent
adv
3 Not standard very well; excellently
first reading
n the introduction of a bill in a legislative assembly
first refusal
n the chance of buying a house, merchandise, etc., before the offer is made to other potential buyers
First Republic
n the republic in France, which lasted from the abolition of the monarchy in 1792 until Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself emperor in 1804
first school
n (Brit) a school for children aged between 5 and 8 or 9
Compare →
middle school
first-strike
adj (of a nuclear missile) intended for use in an opening attack calculated to destroy the enemy's nuclear weapons
first string
n
1 the top player of a team in an individual sport, such as squash
adj
♦
first-string
2 being a regular member of a team rather than a substitute or reserve
3 being the top player of a team in an individual sport
4 of high rating; first-class
first water
n
1 the finest quality of diamond or other precious stone
2 the highest grade or best quality
3 the most extreme kind
a fool of the first water
First World War
n another name for →
World War I