Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,786,579,998 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

first

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
first  (fûrst)
n.
1. The ordinal number matching the number one in a series.
2. The one coming, occurring, or ranking before or above all others.
3. The beginning; the outset: from the first; at first.
4. Music The voice or instrument highest in pitch or carrying the principal part.
5. The transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle.
6. The winning position in a contest: finished the season in first.
7. Baseball
a. First base.
b. A first baseman.
adj.
1. Corresponding in order to the number one.
2. Coming before all others in order or location: the first house on your left.
3. Occurring or acting before all others in time; earliest: the first day of spring.
4. Ranking above all others, as in importance or quality; foremost: was first in the class.
5. Music Being highest in pitch or carrying the principal part: first trumpet.
6. Of, relating to, or being the transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle.
7. Of, related to, or being a member of the U.S. president's household: first daughter Amy Carter.
adv.
1. Before or above all others in time, order, rank, or importance: arrived first; forgot to light the oven first.
2. For the first time.
3. Rather; preferably: would die first.
4. In the first place; to begin with. See Usage Note at firstly.
Idiom:
first off/thing
From the start; immediately: Why wasn't I told first off? When I get to work, I have to call my lawyer first thing.

[Middle English, from Old English fyrst; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]

first [fɜːst]
adj (usually prenominal)
1.
a.  coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
b.  (as noun) I was the first to arrive
2. (Mathematics) 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. (Engineering / Automotive Engineering) denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
5. (Music, other) Music
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
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, idea, etc (in negative constructions) even one thing, etc. he doesn't know the first thing about me
n
1. the beginning; outset I knew you were a rogue from the first I couldn't see at first because of the mist
2. (Social Science / Education) Education chiefly Brit an honours degree of the highest class Full term first-class honours degree
3. (Engineering / Automotive Engineering) the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear
4. (Music, other) Music
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
5. (Music, other) Music a rare word for prime [11]
adv
1. 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
4. for the first time I've loved you since I first saw you
5. (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]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.firstfirst - the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first"
former - the first of two or the first mentioned of two; "Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered today"
rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority"
2.first - the first element in a countable series; "the first of the month"
no., ordinal, ordinal number - the number designating place in an ordered sequence
3.first - 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"
birth - the time when something begins (especially life); "they divorced after the birth of the child"; "his election signaled the birth of a new age"
incipience, incipiency - beginning to exist or to be apparent; "he placed the incipience of democratic faith at around 1850"; "it is designed to arrest monopolies in their incipiency"
point in time, point - an instant of time; "at that point I had to leave"
starting point, terminus a quo - earliest limiting point
threshold - the starting point for a new state or experience; "on the threshold of manhood"
4.first - 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)
position - (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?"
baseball team - a team that plays baseball
5.first - an honours degree of the highest class
honours, honours degree - a university degree with honors
double first - a first-class honours degree in two subjects
Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
6.firstfirst - the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving
auto, automobile, car, motorcar, machine - a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work"
gear mechanism, gear - a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle)
Adj.1.first - 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"
front - relating to or located in the front; "the front lines"; "the front porch"
early - at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"
original - being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; "a truly original approach"; "with original music"; "an original mind"
primary - of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary; "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"
last - coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining; "the last time I saw Paris"; "the last day of the month"; "had the last word"; "waited until the last minute"; "he raised his voice in a last supreme call"; "the last game of the season"; "down to his last nickel"
2.firstfirst - indicating the beginning unit in a series
ordinal - being or denoting a numerical order in a series; "ordinal numbers"; "held an ordinal rank of seventh"
3.first - 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"
opening - first or beginning; "the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth"; "the play's opening scene"
4.first - serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"
opening - first or beginning; "the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth"; "the play's opening scene"
5.first - ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"
best - (superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit"
6.first - highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn"
music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
second - a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first; "second flute"; "the second violins"
Adv.1.first - before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake"
2.first - the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake"
3.first - before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
4.first - prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost"

first
adjective
1. earliest, original, primitive, primordial, primeval The first men of this race lived like gods.
2. initial, opening, earliest, maiden, introductory, pristine the first few flakes of snow
3. top, best, winning, premier The first prize is thirty-one thousand pounds.
4. elementary, key, basic, primary, fundamental, cardinal, rudimentary, elemental It is time to go back to first principles.
5. foremost, highest, greatest, leading, head, ruling, chief, prime, supreme, principal, paramount, overriding, pre-eminent The first priority for development is to defeat inflation.
adverb
to begin with, firstly, initially, at the beginning, in the first place, beforehand, to start with, at the outset, before all else I do not remember who spoke first.
noun
novelty, innovation, originality, new experience It is a first for New York.
from the first from the start, from the beginning, from the outset, from the very beginning, from the introduction, from the starting point, from the inception, from the commencement, from the word `go' (informal) You knew about me from the first, didn't you?
Quotations
"Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first" Bible: St. Mark
Proverbs
"First come, first served"
"First things first"
Translations
first [fɜːst]
A. ADJprimero; (before m sing n) → primer
I was first!¡yo iba or estaba primero!
during the first three months of pregnancydurante los primeros tres meses de embarazo
he felt a bit lonely for the first few dayslos primeros días se sentía un poco solo
the first three correct answers win a prizelas tres primeras respuestas correctas se llevan un premio
first-past-the-post system (Parl) sistema de votación por mayoría relativa
at firstal principio
on the first floor (Brit) → en el primer piso (US) → en la planta baja
at first handdirectamente
from first to lastde principio a fin
in the first placeen primer lugar
to win first place (in competition) → conseguir el primer puesto, ganar
to win first prizeganar el primer premio
first strike weaponarma f de primer golpe
the first timela primera vez
see also instance A2
see also thing A2
B. ADV
1. (in place, priority) → primero
first one, then anotherprimero uno, después otro
we arrived firstfuimos los primeros en llegar, llegamos los primeros
ladies firstlas señoras primero
women and children first!¡las mujeres y los niños primero!
first of allante todo, antes que nada
to come first (in race) → ganar, llegar el primero; (= have priority) → estar primero, tener prioridad
the customer/your homework must come firstel cliente es lo primero/tus deberes son lo primero
first and foremostante todo, antes que nada
to get in first (in conversation, process) → adelantarse
you go first!¡tú primero!, ¡pasa tú!
head firstde cabeza
you have to put your children's needs firstprimero están las necesidades de tus hijos
first come, first servedel que llega primero tiene prioridad
free tickets, on a first-come-first-served basisentradas gratis, por riguroso orden de llegada
2. (in time) (= before anything else) → primero, antes de nada
first, I need a drinkprimero or antes de nada or antes que nada, necesito una copa
first, I don't like it, second, I haven't got the moneylo primero: no me gusta, lo segundo: no dispongo del dinero
first and last (= above all) → por encima de todo
first offprimero de todo, antes de nada
3. (= for the first time) → por primera vez
the word was first used in 1835la palabra se usó por primera vez en 1835
I first met him in Parislo conocí en París
4. (= rather) → primero, antes
let him in this house? I'd kill him first!¿dejarle pisar esta casa? ¡primero or antes lo mato!
I'd die first!¡antes me muero!
C. PRON the first of Januaryel primero de enero, el uno de enero
it's the first I've heard of itahora me entero, no lo sabía
Charles the FirstCarlos Primero
he came in an easy firstllegó el primero con ventaja
from the (very) firstdesde el principio
to be the first to do sthser el primero en hacer algo
they were the first to arrivefueron los primeros en llegar, llegaron los primeros
D. N
1. (Aut) → primera f
in firsten primera
2. (Brit) (Univ) → sobresaliente m
he got a first in Frenchse ha licenciado en francés con una media de sobresaliente DEGREE
E. CPD first aid Nprimeros auxilios mpl
first-aid box = first-aid kit first-aid coursecurso m de primeros auxilios
first-aid kitbotiquín m de primeros auxilios
first-aid post; first-aid station (US) → puesto m de socorro
first base N (Baseball) → primera base f
not to get to first base (US) → quedar en agua de borrajas
first degree Nlicenciatura f
first edition Nprimera edición f; [of early or rare book] → edición f príncipe
first form or year N (Scol) primer curso de secundaria
first-year student (Univ) → estudiante mf de primer año(de carrera universitaria)
first gear N (Aut) → primera f
first lady N (US) → primera dama f
the first lady of jazzla gran dama del jazz
first language N (= mother tongue) → lengua f materna; [of country] → lengua f principal
first lieutenant N (US) (Aer) → teniente mf (Brit) (Naut) → teniente mf de navío
first light Namanecer m, alba f
at first lightal amanecer, al alba
first mate Nprimer oficial m, primera oficial f
first minister N (in Scotland) → ministro/ministra m/f principal
first name Nnombre m (de pila)
to be on first name terms with sbtutear a algn
first night N (Theat) → estreno m
first offender N (Jur) → delincuente mf sin antecedentes penales
first officer Nprimer oficial m, primera oficial f
first performance N (Theat, Mus) → estreno m
first person N (Ling) → primera persona f
first school N (Brit) escuela para niños entre cinco y nueve años
first violin Nprimer violín m, primera violín f
see also cousin

first [ˈfɜːrst]
adj
(in time, position, group, series)premier/ière
the first time → la première fois
to win first prize → remporter le premier prix
a first prize of £1000 → 1000 livres en guise de premier prix
in the first instance → en premier lieu
first thing adv (= before anything else)
I'll do it first thing tomorrow → Je le ferai demain matin à la première heure.
not to know the first thing about sth (= anything at all) → ne rien connaître à qch
We didn't know the first thing about running a restaurant → Nous ne connaissions rien à la gestion d'un restaurant.
(in importance)premier/ière
first things first! → les choses importantes d'abord !
adv
(= before others) → le* premier*(la)/ière
Ralph spoke first → Ralph a parlé le premier.
Jenny arrived first → Jenny est arrivée la première.
to come first (in race)arriver premier/ière
Rachel came first → Rachel est arrivée première.
head first → la tête la première
feet first → les pieds devant
(= before that) → d'abord
I want to get a job, but first I have to pass my exams → Je veux trouver du travail, mais d'abord je dois réussir mes examens.
to put sth/sb first (= give priority to) → donner la priorité à qch/qn
(= for the first time) → pour la première fois
They first met in 2002 → Ils se sont rencontrés pour la première fois en 2002.
(when listing reasons)en premier lieu, premièrement
first of all → tout d'abord, pour commencer
first off → tout d'abord
n
(= person) → premier/ière m/f
to be the first to do sth → être le premier à faire qch
He was the first to film them → Il a été le premier à les filmer.
She was the first to arrive → Elle est arrivée la première.
first come first served → les premiers arrivés seront les premiers servis
to be a first for sb → être une première pour qn
(British) (also first-class degree) → mention f très bien, licence f avec mention très bien
(AUTOMOBILES) (also first gear) → première f
(= first day) the first of January → le premier janvier
on the first → le premier
(= start) at first → au commencement, au début
from the first → dès le début
from the very first → au tout début
(also first thing)
The first I heard of it was → La première fois que j'en ai entendu parler était ...
That was the first I knew of it → Je n'étais pas au courant avant.
first aid npremiers secours mpl, premiers soins mpl
first aider [ˌfɜːrstˈeɪdər] nsecouriste mf
first-aid kit ntrousse f à pharmacie, trousse f de premiers secours
first blood n
to draw first blood → remporter le premier round, remporter le premier tour
first blood to sb → premier round en faveur de qn, première manche en faveur de qn
first born first-born [ˈfɜːrstbɔːrn] n (= child) → premier-né* $(première-née)m/f
first-born [ˌfɜːrstˈbɔːrn] adjpremier-né*(première-née)
first-class first class [ˌfɜːrstˈklɑːs]
adj
[ticket, carriage] → de première classe
She has booked a first-class ticket → Elle a réservé un billet de première classe.
(= excellent) → excellent(e), exceptionnel(le)
a first-class meal → un excellent repas
a first-class stamp → un timbre en tarif prioritaire
a first-class letter → une lettre en tarif prioritaire
adv
[travel, fly] → en première classe
to send a letter first class → envoyer une lettre en tarif prioritaire
to post a letter first class → envoyer une lettre en tarif prioritaire
first cousin ncousin(e) m/f germain(e)
first degree n (UNIVERSITY)licence f
first-degree burn nbrûlure f au premier degré
first degree murder nmeurtre m avec préméditation
to be charged with first-degree murder → être accusé(e) de meurtre avec préméditation
first edition npremière édition f
first ever first-ever adjtout(e) premier/ière
first family n (US) [president] the first family → la famille du président
first floor n
(British) (= floor above the ground floor) → premier étage m
on the first floor → au premier étage, au premier
(US) (= ground floor) → rez-de-chaussée m
on the first floor → au rez-de-chaussée
first-floor [ˌfɜːrstˈflɔːr] modif
(British) (on the floor above the ground floor) [flat, sitting room, restaurant, balcony] → au premier étage
(US) (= ground-floor) [apartment] → au rez-de-chaussée
first form n (British)sixième f, classe f de sixième
first fruits nplpremiers résultats mpl
first-generation [ˌfɜːrstdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən] adjde la première génération
first grade n (US)cours m préparatoire
first-grade [ˌfɜːrstˈgreɪd] adj (US) [teacher, class, student] → du cours préparatoire
first-grader [ˌfɜːrstˈgreɪdər] nélève mf de CP
first hand n
at first hand → directement
to see sth at first hand → constater qch directement
first hand firsthand, first-hand [ˌfɜːrstˈhænd] adv [know, experience, see] → directement
first-hand firsthand [ˌfɜːrstˈhænd] adj [experience, knowledge] → de première main
first lady n
(US) (= wife of president) → première dame f des États-Unis
the first lady of jazz → la plus grande dame du jazz
first language npremière langue f
first lieutenant n
(British) (in navy)lieutenant m de vaisseau
(US) (in air force)lieutenant m

first
adjerste(r, s); his first novelsein Erstlingsroman m; he was first in the queue (Brit) or in line (US) → er war der Erste in der Schlange; he was first in Latiner war der Beste in Latein; who’s first?wer ist der Erste?; I’m first, I’ve been waiting longer than youich bin zuerst an der Reihe, ich warte schon länger als Sie; the first time I saw her …als ich sie zum ersten Mal sah, …; is it your first time?machst du das zum ersten Mal?; there always has to be a first timeeinmal ist immer das erste Mal; we managed it the very first timewir haben es auf Anhieb geschafft; in first place (Sport etc) → an erster Stelle; to be or lie in first placean erster Stelle liegen; in the first placezunächst or erstens einmal; why didn’t you say so in the first place?warum hast du denn das nicht gleich gesagt?; first time aroundbeim ersten Mal
adv
zuerst; (= before all the others) arrive, leaveals erste(r, s); first, take three eggszuerst or als Erstes nehme man drei Eier; that’s not what you said firstzuerst hast du etwas anderes gesagt; first come first served (prov) → wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst (Prov); on a first come first served basisnach dem Prinzip „wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst; women and children firstFrauen und Kinder zuerst; ladies firstLadies first!, den Damen der Vortritt; you (go) firstnach Ihnen; he says first one thing then anotherer sagt mal so, mal so; before he says anything I want to get in first with a few commentsbevor er irgendetwas sagt, möchte ich einige Bemerkungen anbringen; what comes first in your order of priorities?was steht bei Ihnen an erster Stelle?, was ist Ihnen am wichtigsten?; but, darling, you know you always come firstaber, mein Schatz, du weißt doch, dass du bei mir immer an erster Stelle stehst; he always puts his job firstseine Arbeit kommt bei ihm immer vor allen anderen Dingen
(= before all else)als Erstes, zunächst; (in listing) → erstens; first of all (= before all else, mainly)vor allem; first (of all) I’m going for a swimals Erstes or zu(aller)erst gehe ich schwimmen; why can’t I? — well, first of all or first off (inf), it’s not yours and secondly …warum denn nicht? — nun, zunächst or erstens einmal gehört es nicht dir und zweitens; first and foremostzunächst; first and foremost, he is a writerzuallererst ist er Schriftsteller; first and last he is an Englishmaner ist durch und durch Engländer
(= for the first time)zum ersten Mal, das erste Mal; when did you first meet him?wann haben Sie ihn das erste Mal or zum ersten Mal getroffen?; when this model was first introducedzu Anfang or zuerst, als das Modell herauskam; when it first became known that …als erstmals bekannt wurde, dass …; this work was first performed/published in 1997dieses Werk wurde 1997 uraufgeführt/erstveröffentlicht
(= before: in time) → (zu)erst; I must finish this firstich muss das erst fertig machen; think first before you sign anythingüberlegen Sie es sich, bevor Sie etwas unterschreiben
(in preference) → eher, lieber; I’d die first!eher or lieber würde ich sterben!
(Naut, Rail) to travel firsterster Klasse reisen
n
the firstder/die/das Erste; (= former)der/die/das Erstere; he was among the (very) first to arriveer war unter den Ersten or Allerersten, die ankamen; they were the first to congratulate mesie gratulierten mir als Erste; he was the first home/to finisher war als Erster zu Hause/fertig; (in race) → er ging als Erster durchs Ziel; she wore a blouse and a skirt, but the first was too tight and the second too baggysie trug eine Bluse und einen Rock, aber erstere war zu eng und letzterer zu weit
this is the first I’ve heard of itdas ist mir ja ganz neu; the first he knew about it was when he saw it in the paperer hat erst davon erfahren, als er es in der Zeitung las
at firstzuerst, zunächst; from the firstvon Anfang an; from first to lastvon Anfang bis Ende
(Brit Univ) → Eins f, → Note f„Eins“; he got a firster bestand (sein Examen) mit „Eins“ or „sehr gut; he was supposed to get a firster war ein Einserkandidat
it’s a first (= first time ever done)es ist das allererste Mal(, das so was gemacht wird); it’s a first for me/the firm (= new experience)ich habe/die Firma hat noch nie so etwas gemacht; this is a first for the citydas passiert zum ersten Mal in der Stadt
(Aut) first (gear)der erste (Gang); in firstim ersten (Gang)
(US Baseball) → erstes Base or Mal ? also sixth

first:
first aid
nErste Hilfe; to give firstErste Hilfe leisten
first-aid box
n (Brit) → Verband(s)kasten m
first-aid kit
nVerband(s)kasten m
first-aid post, first-aid station
nSanitätswache f
first-born
adjerstgeboren
nErstgeborene(r) mf
first class
n (Rail, Post etc) → erste Klasse
adj pred (= excellent) he’s first at cooking/tenniser ist ein erstklassiger Koch/Tennisspieler; that’s absolutely first!das ist einfach Spitze! (inf)
first-class
adj attr
(= excellent)erstklassig; he’s a first cooker ist ein erstklassiger Koch
(Rail, Aviat, Tourism) flight, train, ticket, cabinerster Klasse; a first hotelein Erste-Klasse-Hotel nt, → ein Hotel nterster Klasse; first travelReisen plerster Klasse; a first ticketeine Fahrkarte erster Klasse; a first compartmentein Erste-Klasse-Abteil nt; first passengersReisende plin der ersten Klasse
(Post) first mail bevorzugt beförderte Post; first postage/stamp Porto/Briefmarke für die bevorzugt beförderte Post; first letter bevorzugt beförderter Brief
(Brit Univ) first (honours) degreeExamen ntmit „Eins“ or „sehr gut; he graduated with first honourser machte sein Examen mit „Eins“ or „sehr gut
(Sport) career, innings etcin der obersten Spielklasse; first cricket die oberste Kricket-Spielklasse to play first cricket in der obersten Kricket-Spielklasse spielen
adv
(Aviat, Naut, Rail) travel, flyerster Klasse
(Post) to send something firstetw mit der bevorzugt beförderten Post schicken
first costs
pl (Comm) → Selbstkosten pl, → Gestehungskosten pl
first cousin
nVetter mor Cousin m/Cousine for Kusine fersten Grades
first-day cover
nErsttagsbrief m
first-degree burn
nVerbrennung fersten Grades
first edition
nErstausgabe f
first-foot
vt (Scot) → einen Neujahrsbesuch abstatten (+dat)
first form
n (Brit Sch) → erste Klasse
first-former
n (Brit Sch) → Erstklässler(in) m(f)
first-generation
adj citizen, computerder ersten Generation
first-hand
adj information, experience, knowledgeaus erster Hand; to have first knowledge of somethingetw aus eigener Erfahrung kennen; they have first experience of charitable organizationssie haben persönlich Erfahrungen mit Wohlfahrtsverbänden gemacht
adv hear, learn, experience, witnesspersönlich, aus erster Hand; seemit eigenen Augen; they experienced police brutality first or at first handsie haben die Brutalität der Polizei am eigenen Leibe erfahren
First Lady
nFirst Lady f
first language
first lieutenant
nOberleutnant m
first light
nTagesanbruch m, → Morgengrauen nt; at firstbei Tagesanbruch, im Morgengrauen

first:
first mate
n (Naut) → Erster Offizier, Erste Offizierin; (on small boats) → Bestmann m
First Minister
n (Brit Pol) → Erster Minister, Erste Ministerin
first name
nVorname m; they’re on first termssie reden sich mit Vornamen an
first night
n (Theat) → Premiere f; first nervesPremierenfieber nt
first-nighter
nPremierenbesucher(in) m(f)
first offender
nErsttäter(in) m(f); he is a firster ist nicht vorbestraft
first officer
n (Naut) → Erster Offizier, Erste Offizierin
first-past-the-post system
n (Pol) → Mehrheitswahlrecht nt
first performance
n (Theat) → Uraufführung f; (Mus also) → Erstaufführung f
first person
nerste Person; the first pluraldie erste Person Plural; the story is in the firstdie Geschichte ist in der ersten Person geschrieben or wird von einem Icherzähler/einer Icherzählerin erzählt
first-person
adj first narratorIcherzähler(in) m(f); first narrativeIcherzählung f
first principles
plGrundprinzipien pl; to go back or return to firstzu den Grundlagen zurückkehren
first-rate
adjerstklassig; the orchestra was firstdas Orchester hat ausgezeichnet gespielt; they did a first jobsie haben erstklassige or ausgezeichnete Arbeit geleistet
first refusal
nVorkaufsrecht nt; to give somebody (the) firstjdm das Vorkaufsrecht einräumen; to have (the) first ondas Vorkaufsrecht haben für
first responder
n usu plErsthelfer m, Rettungskräfte wie Feuerwehr, Polizei etc, die als erste am Unglücksort eintreffen
first school
n (= Brit)Grundschule f
first-strike weapon
nErstschlagwaffe f
first thing
n she just says the first that comes into her headsie sagt einfach das, was ihr zuerst einfällt; you don’t have to buy the first you seedu brauchst nicht das zu kaufen, was du zuerst siehst; the first (to do) is to …als Erstes muss man …; the first I knew about it was when James told meich erfuhr es erst, als James es mir erzählte; the first I knew he’d taken the lotehe ich michs versah, hatte er alles genommen; the first to remember is that she hates formalityman muss vor allem daran denken, dass sie Förmlichkeit nicht mag; firsts firsteins nach dem anderen, immer (hübsch) der Reihe nach; (= most important first)das Wichtigste zuerst; you have to put firsts firstdu musst wissen, was am wichtigsten ist; he doesn’t know the first about it/carsdavon/von Autos hat er nicht die geringste Ahnung
advgleich; I’ll go first in the morning/when I get backich gehe gleich morgen früh/gleich, wenn ich wieder da bin; I’m not at my best first (in the morning)früh am Morgen bin ich nicht gerade in Hochform; do it first before you forgetmach es gleich, ehe du es vergisst
first-time buyer
n jd, der zum ersten Mal ein Haus/eine Wohnung kauft, → Erstkäufer(in) m(f)
first-timer
n (inf)
(= novice)Neuling m
(Comm) → Erstkäufer(in) m(f)
first violin
nerste Geige; he plays firster spielt erste Geige
First World War
n the firstder Erste Weltkrieg

first [fɜːst]
1. adjprimo/a
the first of January → il primo (di) gennaio
the first time → la prima volta
Charles the First → Carlo Primo
to win first place → arrivare primo
in the first place → per prima cosa, innanzitutto
in the first instance → in primo luogo, prima di tutto
first thing in the morning → la mattina presto
I'll do it first thing tomorrow → lo farò per prima cosa domani
first things first! → prima le cose più importanti!
I don't know the first thing about it (fam) → non ne so un bel niente
2. adv
a. (firstly) → prima; (before other things) → per primo/a; (when listing reasons) → per prima cosa
first one, then another → prima uno, poi un altro
first of all → prima di tutto
first and foremost → prima di tutto, innanzitutto
first and last (above all) → prima di tutto
ladies first! → prima le signore!
we arrived first → siamo arrivati per primi
she came first in the race → è arrivata prima nella gara
at first → sulle prime, all'inizio, dapprima
finish this work first → finisci questo lavoro prima
head first → a capofitto
b. (for the first time) → per la prima volta
I first met him in Paris → l'ho incontrato per la prima volta a Parigi
c. (rather) → piuttosto
I'd die first! → piuttosto morirei!
3. n (person, in race) → primo/a
the first to arrive → il/la primo/a ad arrivare
first come, first served → chi tardi arriva, male alloggia
from the (very) first → fin dall'inizio, fin dal primo momento
from first to last → dall'inizio alla fine
in first (gear) (Aut) → in prima (marcia)
he gained a first in French (Brit) (Univ) (class of degree) → si è laureato in francese col massimo dei voti

first [fɜːst]
1. adjprimo/a
the first of January → il primo (di) gennaio
the first time → la prima volta
Charles the First → Carlo Primo
to win first place → arrivare primo
in the first place → per prima cosa, innanzitutto
in the first instance → in primo luogo, prima di tutto
first thing in the morning → la mattina presto
I'll do it first thing tomorrow → lo farò per prima cosa domani
first things first! → prima le cose più importanti!
I don't know the first thing about it (fam) → non ne so un bel niente
2. adv
a. (firstly) → prima; (before other things) → per primo/a; (when listing reasons) → per prima cosa
first one, then another → prima uno, poi un altro
first of all → prima di tutto
first and foremost → prima di tutto, innanzitutto
first and last (above all) → prima di tutto
ladies first! → prima le signore!
we arrived first → siamo arrivati per primi
she came first in the race → è arrivata prima nella gara
at first → sulle prime, all'inizio, dapprima
finish this work first → finisci questo lavoro prima
head first → a capofitto
b. (for the first time) → per la prima volta
I first met him in Paris → l'ho incontrato per la prima volta a Parigi
c. (rather) → piuttosto
I'd die first! → piuttosto morirei!
3. n (person, in race) → primo/a
the first to arrive → il/la primo/a ad arrivare
first come, first served → chi tardi arriva, male alloggia
from the (very) first → fin dall'inizio, fin dal primo momento
from first to last → dall'inizio alla fine
in first (gear) (Aut) → in prima (marcia)
he gained a first in French (Brit) (Univ) (class of degree) → si è laureato in francese col massimo dei voti

first
adjectiv / adv first [fəːst]
before all others in place, time or rank the first person to arrive; The boy spoke first. eerste الأوَّل пръв první første; først erst, zuerst πρώτος primero esimene, esimesena اول ensimmäinen premier, première רִאשוֹן प्रथम, पहला prvi, na prvom mjestu első pertama fyrstur primo 最初の[] 첫 째의 pirmas pirmais pertama eerst først, som nummer én/den første (jako) pierwszy primeiro primul первый prvý prvi prvi först, första เป็นอันดับที่หนึ่ง ilk 第一 перший مقام میں سب سے پہلے thứ nhất; đầu tiên 第一
adv
before doing anything else Shall we eat now?' `Wash your hands first! eers أوَّلا първо nejdříve først zuerst πρώτα primero kõigepealt ابتدا ensin d'abord קוֹדֶם आरम्भ में ponajprije, prvo először (is) lebih dulu á undan prima まず最初に ! 맨 처음, 첫째로, 무엇보다 먼저 pirma, pirmiausia pirmkārt; vispirms dahulu eerst først najpierw primeiro mai întâi сперва najskôr najprej najpre först เป็นอันดับแรก ก่อนทำสิ่งอื่น önce спершу, спочатку کچھ بھی کرنے سے قبل trước hết
n
the person, animal etc that does something before any other person, animal etc the first to arrive. eerste الأوَّل първенец první første der/die/das Erste πρώτος primero esimene اولین ensimmäinen premier/-ière הַרִאשוֹן प्रथम, पहला prvi (najbolji) ucenik, osoba... az első yang pertama fyrstur primo 最初のもの 첫째(최초)의 사람(것) pirmasis pirmais pertama de eerste den første pierwszy primeiro primul, prima первый (человек и т.п.) prvý prvi prvi första, förste คนหรือสัตว์ที่มาก่อนคนอื่น ilk kişi/şey, birinci kişi/şey 首先 той, хто перший کوئی شخص یا جانور جو سب سے پہلے کچھ کرے người đầu tiên; vật đầu tiên
adv firstly
in the first place I have three reasons for not going – firstly, it's cold, secondly, I'm tired, and thirdly, I don't want to! eerstens أولا на първо място za prvé for det første erstens πρώτον, κατ' αρχήν en primer lugar esiteks اولاً ensiksi en premier lieu רֵאשִית पहले prvo, prije svega, ponajprije először pertama í fyrsta lagi in primo luogo 第一に 첫째로 pirma pirmkārt yang pertama ten eerste for det første po pierwsze primeiro în primul rând во-первых po prvé prvič najpre för det första อันดับแรก birincisi 第一 по-перше پہلی بات thứ nhất 第一
also adj first aid
first-aid treatment. eerstehulp مُساعَدَه أوَّلِيَّه първа помощ první pomoc førstehjælp Erste Hilfe πρώτες βοήθειες primeros auxilios esmaabi کمک های اولیه ensiapu premiers soins עֶזרָה רִאשוֹנָה प्राथमिक चिकित्सा prva pomoć elsősegély pertolongan pertama hjálp í viðlögum, skyndihjálp pronto soccorso 応急手当 응급 치료 pirmoji pagalba pirmā palīdzība; pirmās palīdzības- bantuan kecemasan eerste hulp førstehjelp pierwsza pomoc primeiros socorros prim ajutor первая помощь prvá pomoc prva pomoč prva pomoć första hjälpen อุปกรณ์, การรักษาผู้ป่วย ilk yardım 急救 перша допомога; швидка допомога مریض یا زخمی کی پہلی طبی امداد sự sơ cứu
adjectiv / n first-born
(one's) oldest (child). eersgeborene البِكْر първороден prvorozený førstefødt erstgeboren, der/die/das Erstgeborene πρωτότοκος primogénito esiklaps بزرگتر esikoinen premier-né בְּכוֹר पहली संतान prvorodeni (dijete); prvorođenac elsőszülött sulung frumgetinn, elstur primogenito 最初に生まれた 맨 처음 태어난 pirmagimis pirmdzimtais anak pertama eerstgeboren førstefødt pierworodny primogénito primul născut первенец prvorodený, -á prvorojen(ec) prvorođeni förstfödd เกี่ยวกับคนหัวปี ilk doğan; ilk çocuk 最年長的(孩子) первісток پہلا بچہ đầu lòng; cả
adj first-ˈclass
1 of the best quality a first-class hotel. eersteklas دَرَجَه أولى първокласен prvotřídní førsteklasses; top- erstklassig πρώτης κατηγορίας de primera clase esmaklassiline درجه یک ensiluokkainen de première classe מַחלָקָה רִאשוֹנָה पहला दर्जा najbolji első osztályú terbaik fyrsta flokks di prima classe 一流の 최고급의 pirmaklasis, aukščiausios klasės pirmšķirīgs kelas pertama eersteklas førsteklasses, /av første klasse najlepszej jakości de primeira classe (de) clasa întâi первоклассный prvotriedny prvovrsten prvoklasan första klassens ชั้นเยี่ยม birinci sınıf 第一流的 першокласний, першорядний عمدہ قسم کا hạng nhất
2 very good This food is first-class! eersteklas مُمتاز، درجَه أولى отличен prvotřídní førsteklasses; i top; uovertruffen ausgezeichnet πρώτης τάξης de primera calidad, excelente eriti hea عالی erittäin hyvä de première qualité מְעוּלֶה बहुत अच्छा odlican elsőrendű lezat fyrsta flokks, fyrirtaks di prima qualità すばらしい 매우 좋은 aukščiausios kokybės, geriausias lielisks sangat sedap eersteklas førsteklasses pierwszorzędny excelente (de) cali­tatea întâi превосходный prvotriedny prvovrsten sjajan förstklassig เยี่ยมมาก çok güzel, mükemmel 極好的 першокласний بہت اچھا rất ngon; rất tốt
3 (for) travelling in the best and most expensive part of the train, plane, ship etc a first-class passenger ticket; (also adverb ) She always travels first-class. eersteklas دَرَجَه أولى първа класа v první třídě førsteklasses-; på første klasse erster Klasse πρώτη θέση de primera clase esimese(s) klassi(s) درجه یک ensimmäisessä luokassa en première classe מַחלָקָה רִאשוֹנָה पहला दर्जा prvorazredan, najbolji első osztályú kelas satu fyrsta farrÿmi in prima classe 1等の 1등석의 pirmoji klasė (par ceļošanu) pirmās klases-; pirmajā klasē kelas pertama eersteklas første klasse pierwszej klasy de primeira classe (de) la clasa întâi первого класса prvá trieda v prvem razredu prva klasa förstaklass-, första klass ตั๋วสำหรับเดินทาง birinci mevki 頭等車/艙 такий, що належить до першого класу ریل، جہاز وغیرہ کے سب سے بہترین حصے میں سفر کرنا hạng nhất (舱)
adjectiv / adv first-ˈhand
(of a story, description etc) obtained directly, not through various other people a first-hand account; I heard the story first-hand. eerstehands مُباشِر، دون وَسيط от първа ръка z první ruky førstehånds-; på første hånd aus erster Hand από πρώτο χέρι directo, personal; directamente, personalmente; de primera mano vahetu(lt) دست اول ensi käden de première main מִמָקוֹר רִאשוֹן स्वत:, प्रत्यक्ष iz prve ruke első kézből (való) secara langsung milliliðalaus; frá fyrstu hendi di prima mano 直接の[] 직접 iš pirmųjų lūpų tieši; no pirmavota orang yang pertama uit de eerste hand førstehånds-, første hånd z pierwszej ręki em primeira mão direct (de la sursă) (полученный) из первых рук z prvej ruky iz prve roke iz prve ruke förstahands-, i första hand, direkt โดยตรง (ประสบการณ์) ilk elden, kaynağından 直接的/地 з перших рук جس کا براہ راست تجربہ ہوا ہو mắt thấy tai nghe
adj first-ˈrate
of the best quality She is a first-rate architect. eersteklas; eersterangs رائِع، مِن الطِّراز الأوَّل първокачествен prvotřídní førsterangs- ausgezeichnet πρώτης τάξης estupendo esmajärguline تراز اول ensiluokkainen excellent מְעוּלֶה अति उत्तम prvorazredan első osztályú terbaik fyrsta flokks, afbragðs- di prim'ordine 一流の 1류의 aukščiausios klasės pirmšķirīgs terbaik uitstekend tipp topp, førsteklasses pierwszorzędny excelente de primă mână, exce­lent первоклассный prvotriedny prvovrsten prvoklasni förstklassig, prima ชั้นหนึ่ง birinci sınıf 第一流的 першорядний اول درجے کا thượng hạng
at first
at the beginning At first I didn't like him. eers; aanvanklik في البِدايَه първоначално z počátku først; i begyndelsen zuerst στην αρχή al principio algul در ابتدا aluksi au début בַּהָתחָלָה प्रारंभ में spocetka, isprva először, kezdetben mula-mula til að byrja með all'inizio 最初は 처음에 iš pradžių vispirms pada mulanya in het begin i begynnelsen, til å begynne med na początku no começo la început сначала zo začiatku najprej u početku först ตั้งแต่ตอนแรก ilkin, ilk önce 起先 спочатку شروع میں lúc đầu; ban đầu
at first hand
obtained etc directly I was able to acquire information at first hand. eerstehands مُباشَرةً، بدون وَسيط от източника z první ruky på første hånd aus erster Hand από πρώτο χέρι de primera mano otsesest allikast بی واسطه suoraan de première main מִמָקוֹר רִאשוֹן स्वत:, प्रत्यक्ष direktno, iz prve ruke első kézből secara langsung milliliðalaus direttamente 直接に 직접 iš pirmųjų lūpų, iškart no pirmavota secara langsung uit de eerste hand første hånd z pierwszej ręki em primeira mão direct (de la sursă) из первых рук z prvej ruky iz prve roke iz prve ruke direkt ได้มาโดยตรง doğrudan, kaynağından 直接地 з перших рук براہ راست trực tiếp
first and foremost
first of all. allereers أوَّلا وقَبل كل شَيء преди всичко především først og fremmest; frem for alt zu allererst πρώτο και κύριο antes que nada eeskätt اولین و مهم ترین ensi sijassa en tout premier lieu בָּראש וּבַרִאשוֹנָה सर्वप्रथम prije svega mindenekelőtt pertama sekali fyrst og fremst soprattutto まず第一に 무엇보다도 먼저 pirmiausia pirmām kārtām pertama sekali bovenal først og fremst przede wszystkim antes de tudo în primul (şi în primul) rând прежде всего predovšetkým na prvem mestu prvo i najvažnije först ก่อนอื่น her şeyden önce 首先 насамперед سب سے پہلے đầu tiên và chủ yếu
first of all
to begin with; the most important thing is First of all, let's clear up the mess; First of all, the scheme is impossible – secondly, we can't afford it. eerstens أولا، بدايَةً най-напред především for det første; først og fremmest zu allererst πρώτ'απ' όλα, κατ' αρχήν en primer lugar kõigepealt قبل از همه ensinnäkin tout d'abord קוֹדֶם כּול सर्वप्रथम prije svega, ponajprije elsősorban terpenting, pertama-tama í fyrsta lagi prima di tutto まず最初に 무엇보다도 pirmiausia vispirms pertama-tama om te beginnen for det første przede wszystkim antes de tudo în primul rând в первую очередь predovšetkým najprej pre svega allra först, först och främst เป็นอย่างแรก önce, ilk önce 首先 насамперед سب سے پہلے trước hết

first أول, أولاً nejdříve, první først, topkarakter Erster, zuerst πρώτα, πρωτιά, πρώτος en primer lugar, primero, primicia ensimmäinen, ensin premier, premièrement najbolja ocjena, prvi, prvo innanzitutto, primo 最初に, 最初の, 最初のもの 처음으로, 첫 번째의, 첫째 eerste begynnelse, først, første pierwsze miejsce, pierwszy, po pierwsze primeiramente, primeiro первый, сначала först, förste, högsta betyg คนหรือของที่เป็นอันดับหนึ่ง, ที่หนึ่ง, อย่างแรก ilk, ilkin đầu tiên, trước hết 第一, 第一的, 首先


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The first sound in the morning was her voice as she went about the house singing like a lark, and the last sound at night was the same cheery sound, for the girls never grew too old for that familiar lullaby.
I don't know just what Beecher's plans are, but, he may try to get on the ground first.
NOTES: [1] The Bohemian name Antonia is strongly accented on the first syllable, like the English name Anthony, and the `i' is, of course, given the sound of long `e'.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.