first (fɜːst
)
Definitions
adjective (usually prenominal)
- coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost
- ((as noun) ⇒
I was the first to arrive
- preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one. Often written: 1st
- rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels
- denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
- music
- 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
- denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral section ⇒
he plays first horn
- denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra ⇒
- See first thing
- See first things first
- See the first thing
noun
- the beginning; outset ⇒
I knew you were a rogue from the first
I couldn't see at first because of the mist
- education mainly British an honours degree of the highest class
first-class honours degree - something which has not occurred before ⇒
a first for the company
- the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear
- music
- the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra
- the instrument or voice taking such a part
- the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal
- music a rare word for prime (sense 11)
adverb
- before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc ⇒
do this first
first, remove the head and tail of the fish
- See first and last
- See from first to last
- for the first time ⇒
I've loved you since I first saw you
- (sentence modifier) in the first place or beginning of a series of actions ⇒
first I want to talk about criminality
See also
firstsWord Origin
Old English fyrest ; related to Old Saxon furist , Old Norse fyrstr , German Fürst prince, one who is first in rankSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
earliest,
initial,
opening,
introductory,
original,
maiden,
primitive,
primordial,
primeval,
pristine,
=
foremost,
highest,
greatest,
leading,
head,
ruling,
chief,
prime,
supreme,
principal,
paramount,
overriding,
pre-eminent,
=
to begin with,
firstly,
initially,
at the beginning
in the first place,
beforehand,
to start with,
at the outset before all else
Quotations
"Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first"
Bible: St. Mark"First come, first served"
"First things first"
Translations
- British English:
first
If a person or thing is first, they come before all the others.January is the first month of the year.fɜːst NOUN January is the first month of the year.
- Spanish:
primero
adj primera
- French:
premier
adj
- German:
erster
adj erste , erstes
- Chinese: 第一的 adj
- Arabic: أَوَّل adj
- Portuguese: primeiro adj primeira
- Russian: первый adj первая
- Croatian: prvi adj prva
- Czech: první num
- Danish: først adj
- Dutch: eerste adj
- Finnish: ensimmäinen adj
- Greek: πρώτος adj πρώτη
- Italian: primo adj prima
- Japanese: 最初の no_posp
- Korean: 첫 번째의 adj
- Norwegian: første adj
- Polish: pierwszy adj pierwsza
- Brazilian Portuguese: primeiro adj primeira
- European Spanish:
primero
adj primera
- Swedish: förste adj första
- Thai: ที่หนึ่ง adj
- Turkish: ilk adj
- Vietnamese: đầu tiên adj
- British English:
first
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.fɜːst NOUN I do not remember who spoke first.
- Spanish:
en primer lugar
adv
- French:
premièrement
adv
- German:
zuerst
adv
- Chinese: 首先 adv
- Arabic: أَوَّلاً adv
- Portuguese: primeiramente adv
- Russian: сначала adv
- Croatian: prvo adv
- Czech: nejdříve adv
- Danish: først adv
- Dutch: eerste adv
- Finnish: ensin adv
- Greek: πρώτα adv
- Italian: innanzitutto adv
- Japanese: 最初に adv
- Korean: 처음으로 adv
- Norwegian: først adv
- Polish: po pierwsze adv
- Brazilian Portuguese: primeiramente adv
- European Spanish:
en primer lugar
adv
- Swedish: först adv
- Thai: อย่างแรก adv
- Turkish: ilkin adv
- Vietnamese: trước hết adv
- British English:
first
An event that is described as a first has never happened before.The meeting was a first for the company.fɜːst NOUN The meeting was a first for the company.
- Spanish:
primicia
nf
- French:
premier
nm
- German:
Erster
nm Erste
- Chinese: 第一 n
- Arabic: لِلمَرَّةِ الأُولَى n
- Portuguese: primeiro nm primeira
- Russian: первый nm первая
- Croatian: najbolja ocjena nf
- Czech: první num
- Danish: topkarakter nutr
- Dutch: eerste n
- Finnish: ensimmäinen adj
- Greek: πρωτιά nf
- Italian: primo nm prima
- Japanese: 最初のもの n
- Korean: 첫째 n
- Norwegian: begynnelse nm
- Polish: pierwsze miejsce nnt
- Brazilian Portuguese: primeiro nm primeira
- European Spanish:
primicia
nf
- Swedish: högsta betyg nnt
- Thai: คนหรือของที่เป็นอันดับหนึ่ง n
- Turkish: ilk n
- Vietnamese: đầu tiên n
Usage examples
Then I remembered how Marianne and I had first met, on a beach in Portugal.
, THE EXECUTION (2002)Dormouse numbers have been dwindling since monitoring first started 10 years ago, especially in the North.
Country Life (2004)But first , as the broadcasters say, a pause for thought and a general election.
Irish Times (2002)In Numan's case, the summer beckons with a five-week interval from the game which will be his first of any length for three years.
Glasgow Herald (2001)With the brashness of youth he had the offending calculus in his grasp first go.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)