'FIRST' definitions:

Definition of 'first'

(from WordNet)
adverb
Before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake" [syn: first, firstly, foremost, first of all, first off]
adverb
The initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake" [syn: first, for the first time]
adverb
Before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
adverb
Prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost" [syn: foremost, 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" [ant: last]
adjective
Indicating the beginning unit in a series [syn: first, 1st]
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" [syn: inaugural, initiative, initiatory, first, maiden]
adjective
Serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse" [syn: beginning(a), first]
adjective
Ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate" [syn: first, foremost, world-class]
adjective
Highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn" [ant: second]
noun
The first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first" [syn: first, number one]
noun
The first element in a countable series; "the first of the month" [syn: first, number one, number 1]
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" [syn: beginning, commencement, first, outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time, showtime, offset] [ant: end, ending, middle]
noun
The fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate) [syn: first base, first]
noun
An honours degree of the highest class [syn: first, first- class honours degree]
noun
The lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving [syn: first gear, first, low gear, low]

Definition of 'First'

From: GCIDE
  • First \First\ (f[~e]rst), a. [OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. & Dan. f["o]rste, OHG. furist, G. f["u]rst 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece. [1913 Webster]
  • At first blush. See under Blush.
  • At first hand, from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent. [1913 Webster]
  • 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 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'First'

From: GCIDE
  • First \First\ (f[~e]rst), adv. Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in composition with adjectives and participles. [1913 Webster]
  • Adam was first formed, then Eve. --1 Tim. ii. 13. [1913 Webster]
  • At first, At the first, at the beginning or origin.
  • First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end. [1913 Webster]
  • And all are fools and lovers first or last. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'First'

From: GCIDE
  • First \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 pre["e]minence in the combined effect. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'first'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Acronyms for 'first'

From: V.E.R.A.
  • ForschungsInstitut fuer Rechnerarchitektur und SoftwareTechnik (org., GMD, Berlin, Germany)
  • Forum of Incident Response and SecuriTy (org., NIST)

Words containing 'FIRST'