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 Adjective 1. earliest in time or order 2. rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels: the First Lord of the Admiralty 3. denoting the lowest forward gear in a motor vehicle 4. Music denoting the highest voice part in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra: the first violin Noun 1. the person or thing coming before all others 2. the beginning or outset 3. Education chiefly Brit an honours degree of the highest class 4. the lowest forward gear in a motor vehicle Adverb 1. before anything else: I would advise you to try surgery first 2. for the first time: this story first came to public attention in January 1984 [Old English fyrest]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | first - 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" | | 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" 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?" | | 5. | first - an honours degree of the highest class | | 6. | first - the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car movingauto, 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. | first - indicating the beginning unit in a seriesordinal - 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 4. foremost, highest, greatest, leading, head, ruling, chief, prime, supreme, principal, paramount, overriding, pre-eminent adverb 6. to begin with, firstly, initially, at the beginning, in the first place, beforehand, to start with, at the outset, before all else from the first start, beginning, outset, the very beginning, introduction, starting point, inception, commencement, the word `go' ( informal)
Translations first [fəːst] adj → primero ( when listing reasons etc) → en primer lugar, primeramente (AUT) (also: first gear) → primera; in the first instance → en primer lugar; for the first time → por primera vez;
first [fəːst] adj → premier/ièren (= person) ( in race) → premier/ière; (Aut) → première f;
first [fəːst] adj → erste(r, s) ( before other things) → zuerst; ( when listing reasons etc) → erstens; ( for the first time) → zum ersten Malfirst of all → vor allem; I'll do it first thing (tomorrow) → ich werde es (morgen) als Erstes tun;
first [fəːst] adj → primo/an (= person) ( in race) → primo/a;
|
|