Adjacent Words

First definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FIRST, a. furst. [See fare and for.]
1. Advanced before or further than any other in progression; foremost in place; as the first man in a marching company or troop is the man that precedes all the rest. Hence,
2. Preceding all others in the order of time. Adam was the first man. Cain was the first murderer. Monday was the first day of January.
3. Preceding all others in numbers or a progressive series; the ordinal of one; as, 1 is the first number.
4. Preceding all others in rank, dignity or excellence. Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece. Burke was one of the first geniuses of his age. Give God the first place in your affections.
FIRST, adv. furst.
1. Before any thing else in the order of time.
Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Timothy 2.
2. Before all others in place or progression.
Let the officers enter the gate first.
3. Before any thing else in order of proceeding or consideration. First, let us attend to the examination of the witnesses.
4. Before all others in rank. He stands or ranks first in public estimation.
At first, at the first, as the beginning or origin.
First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end.
And all fools and lovers first or last.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: 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]
2: indicating the beginning unit in a series [syn: first, 1st]
3: 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]
4: serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse" [syn: beginning, first]
5: ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate" [syn: first, foremost, world-class]
6: 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] n
1: the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first" [syn: first, number one]
2: the first element in a countable series; "the first of the month" [syn: first, number one, number 1]
3: 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]
4: 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]
5: an honours degree of the highest class [syn: first, first- class honours degree]
6: 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] adv
1: before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake" [syn: first, firstly, foremost, first of all, first off]
2: the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake" [syn: first, for the first time]
3: before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
4: prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost" [syn: foremost, first]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fyrst; akin to Old High German furist first, Old English faran to go — more at fare Date: before 12th century preceding all others in time, order, or importance: as a. earliest b. being the lowest forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle c. having the highest or most prominent part among a group of similar voices or instruments <first tenor> <first violins> II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. a. before another in time, space, or importance b. in the first place — often used with of all c. for the first time 2. in preference to something else ; sooner III. noun Date: 13th century 1. — see number table 2. something that is first: as a. the first occurrence or item of a kind b. the first forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle c. the highest or chief voice or instrument of a group d. an article of commerce of the finest grade e. the winning or highest place in a competition, examination, or contest 3. first base

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj., n., & adv. --adj. 1 a earliest in time or order. b coming next after a specified or implied time (shall take the first train; the first cuckoo). 2 foremost in position, rank, or importance (First Lord of the Treasury; first mate). 3 Mus. performing the highest or chief of two or more parts for the same instrument or voice. 4 most willing or likely (should be the first to admit the difficulty). 5 basic or evident (first principles). --n. 1 (prec. by the) the person or thing first mentioned or occurring. 2 the first occurrence of something notable. 3 a a place in the first class in an examination. b a person having this. 4 the first day of a month. 5 first gear. 6 a first place in a race. b the winner of this. 7 (in pl.) goods of the best quality. --adv. 1 before any other person or thing (first of all; first and foremost; first come first served). 2 before someone or something else (must get this done first). 3 for the first time (when did you first see her?). 4 in preference; rather (will see him damned first). 5 first-class (I usually travel first). Phrases and idioms: at first at the beginning. at first hand directly from the original source. first aid help given to an injured person until proper medical treatment is available. first and last taking one thing with another, on the whole. first blood see BLOOD. first-born adj. eldest. --n. the eldest child of a person. First Cause the Creator of the universe. first class 1 a set of persons or things grouped together as the best. 2 the best accommodation in a train, ship, etc. 3 the class of mail given priority in handling. 4 a the highest division in an examination list. b a place in this. first-class adj. 1 belonging to or travelling by the first class. 2 of the best quality; very good. --adv. by the first class (travels first-class). first cousin see COUSIN. first-day cover an envelope with stamps postmarked on their first day of issue. first-degree Med. denoting burns that affect only the surface of the skin, causing reddening. first finger the finger next to the thumb. first floor see FLOOR. first-foot Sc. n. the first person to cross a threshold in the New Year. --v.intr. be a first-foot. first-fruit (usu. in pl.) 1 the first agricultural produce of a season, esp. as offered to God. 2 the first results of work etc. 3 hist. a payment to a superior by the new holder of an office. first gear see GEAR. first intention see INTENTION. First Lady (in the US) the wife of the President. first lesson the first of several passages from the Bible read at a service in the Church of England. first lieutenant US an army or air force officer next below captain. first light the time when light first appears in the morning. first mate (on a merchant ship) the officer second in command to the master. first name a personal or Christian name. first night the first public performance of a play etc. first-nighter a habitual attender of first nights. first off US colloq. at first, first of all. first offender a criminal against whom no previous conviction is recorded. first officer the mate on a merchant ship. first or last sooner or later. first past the post 1 winning a race etc. by being the first to reach the finishing line. 2 (of an electoral system) selecting a candidate or party by simple majority (see also proportional representation, single transferable vote). first person see PERSON. first post see POST(3). first-rate adj. of the highest class, excellent. --adv. colloq. 1 very well (feeling first-rate). 2 excellently. first reading the occasion when a Bill is presented to a legislature to permit its introduction. first refusal see REFUSAL. first school Brit. a school for children from 5 to 9 years old. first sergeant US the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in a company. first-strike denoting a first aggressive attack with nuclear weapons. first thing colloq. before anything else; very early in the morning (shall do it first thing). the first thing even the most elementary fact or principle (does not know the first thing about it). first things first the most important things before any others (we must do first things first). first up Austral. first of all; at the first attempt. from the first from the beginning. from first to last throughout. get to first base US achieve the first step towards an objective. in the first place as the first consideration. of the first water see WATER. Etymology: OE fyrst f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

First First, 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. 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. --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 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! --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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

First First, 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. 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. --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 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! --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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

First 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. --1 Tim. ii. 13. 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. --Dryden.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(firsts) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. The first thing, person, event, or period of time is the one that happens or comes before all the others of the same kind. She lost 16 pounds in the first month of her diet. ...the first few flakes of snow... Two years ago Johnson came first in the one hundred metres at Seoul. ? last ORD • First is also a pronoun. The second paragraph startled me even more than the first... He put me through a series of exercises to improve my car control. The first was to drive on simulated ice. PRON 2. If you do something first, you do it before anyone else does, or before you do anything else. I do not remember who spoke first, but we all expressed the same opinion... First, tell me what you think of my products... Routine questions first, if you don't mind. ADV: ADV with v, ADV with cl/group 3. When something happens or is done for the first time, it has never happened or been done before. This is the first time she has experienced disappointment... It was the first occasion when they had both found it possible to keep a rendezvous. ORD • First is also an adverb. Anne and Steve got engaged two years after they had first started going out... ADV: ADV with v 4. An event that is described as a first has never happened before and is important or exciting. It is a first for New York. An outdoor exhibition of Fernando Botero's sculpture on Park Avenue. N-SING: a N, oft N for n 5. The first you hear of something or the first you know about it is the time when you first become aware of it. We heard it on the TV last night–that was the first we heard of it... PRON: the PRON that 6. You use first when you are talking about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. When he first came home he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing. = initially ADV: ADV before v • First is also an ordinal. She told him that her first reaction was disgust... ORD: usu poss ORD 7. In order to emphasize your determination not to do a particular thing, you can say that rather than do it, you would do something else first. Marry that fat son of a fat cattle dealer? She would die first! ADV: ADV after v [emphasis] 8. You use first when you are about to give the first in a series of items. Certain guidelines can be given. First, have a heating engineer check the safety of the system. ADV: ADV with cl/group 9. The first thing, person, or place in a line is the one that is nearest to you or nearest to the front. Before him, in the first row, sat the President... First in the queue were two Japanese students. ? last ORD 10. You use first to refer to the best or most important thing or person of a particular kind. The first duty of any government must be to protect the interests of the taxpayers... Imagine winning the local lottery first prize of £5,000. ORD 11. First is used in the title of the job or position of someone who has a higher rank than anyone else with the same basic job title. ...the First Lord of the Admiralty. ...the first mate of a British tanker. ORD 12. In British universities, a first is an honours degree of the highest standard. ...an Oxford Blue who took a First in Constitutional History. N-COUNT: oft N in n 13. You use first of all to introduce the first of a number of things that you want to say. The cut in the interest rates has not had very much impact in California for two reasons. First of all, banks are still afraid to loan. PHRASE: PHR with cl/group 14. You use at first when you are talking about what happens in the early stages of an event or experience, or just after something else has happened, in contrast to what happens later. At first, he seemed surprised by my questions... I had some difficulty at first recalling why we were there. = initially PHRASE: PHR with cl 15. If you say that someone or something comes first for a particular person, you mean they treat or consider that person or thing as more important than anything else. There's no time for boyfriends, my career comes first. PHRASE: V inflects 16. If you learn or experience something at first hand, you experience it yourself or learn it directly rather than being told about it by other people. He arrived in Natal to see at first hand the effects of the recent heavy fighting. PHRASE: PHR after v 17. If you say that you do not know the first thing about something, you are emphasizing that you know absolutely nothing about it. You don't know the first thing about farming. PHRASE: V inflects [emphasis] 18. If you put someone or something first, you treat or consider them as more important than anything else. Somebody has to think for the child and put him first. PHRASE: V inflects 19. You say 'first things first' when you are talking about something that should be done or dealt with before anything else because it is the most important. Let's see if we can't find something to set the mood. First things first; some music. PHRASE 20. first and foremost: see foremost

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

furst ('echadh, ri'shon; proton, to proton, protos):

Of these words, which are those most frequently used for "first," ri'shon is from rosh, "the head, and is used for the highest, chief, etc.; also of time, the beginning, e.g. Ge 8:13, in the first month"; in Isa 44:6; 48:12, it is used of Yahweh as Eternal and solely Supreme--the First and the Last (compare Isa 41:4). Special usages are in connection with "firstborn," "first- fruit," etc.; proton is used of that which is first in order; but also of that which is first or chief in importance, etc. (Mt 6:33; Jas 3:17). In 1Ti 1:15, Paul says Jesus came "to save sinners; of whom I am chief," literally, "first"; the same word is used by Jesus of the "first" of the commandments (Mr 12:29); where we read in 1Co 15:3, "I delivered unto you first of all," it is en protois ("in the foremost place"); "The first and the last" is applied to Christ as Eternal and Supreme (Re 1:17; 2:8; 22:13); protos is "the first day" (Mt 26:17; Mr 16:9); in Mt 28:1; Mr 16:2; Lu 24:1; Joh 20:1,19; Ac 20:7, it is mia ("one").

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Foremost, leading. 2. Chief, highest, principal, capital. 3. Earliest. 4. Primary, elementary, rudimentary. 5. Primitive, primeval, pristine. II. ad. In the first place, at the outset, in the beginning, first and foremost, before anything else.

Moby Thesaurus

ab initio, ab ovo, aborigine, ahead, alpha, antecedent, anterior, anticipatory, arch, at first, at the start, banner, basic, before, before everything, beforehand, beginning, blue ribbon, breaking-in, by choice, by election, by vote, capital, cardinal, central, champion, chief, chiefly, ci-devant, commencement, crowning, dominant, earlier, earliest, early, elder, elementary, eminent, essential, exordial, first and foremost, first blush, first glance, first impression, first inning, first lap, first move, first place, first round, first sight, first stage, first step, first thing, firstly, focal, fore, foregoing, forehand, foremost, former, forward, from the beginning, front, frontal, fundamental, gambit, great, head, heading, headmost, hegemonic, highest, in advance, in front, in preference, in the beginning, in the forefront, in the foreground, in the front, in the lead, inaugural, inception, initial, initially, initiative, initiatory, key, le premier pas, leading, least, magisterial, maiden, main, mainly, master, measly, older, oldest, opening, opening move, original, originally, outset, outstanding, overruling, paramount, pioneer, precedent, preceding, precessional, precurrent, precursory, predominant, preeminent, preexistent, prefatory, preferably, preliminary, preludial, prelusive, premier, preparatory, preponderant, prevailing, prevenient, previous, primal, primarily, primary, prime, primitiveness, primitivity, primo, primogenial, primordial, principal, principally, prior, pristine, proemial, propaedeutic, ranking, rather, rather than, ruling, senior, slight, slightest, slim, smallest, sooner, sooner than, sovereign, star, start, stellar, supereminent, supreme, to the fore, to the front, topflight, trifling, triumph, trivial, up ahead, victory, warming-up, win