first

Pronunciation: /fəːst/

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Definition of first

number

1coming before all others in time or order; earliest; 1st:his first wife the first of five daughters many valuable drugs have been recognized first as poisons
never previously done or occurring:her first day at school
coming or encountered next after a specified or implied time, event, etc.:the first house I came to
before doing something else specified or implied:Do you mind if I take a shower first?
for the first time:she first picked up a guitar out of sheer boredom
informal the first occurrence of something notable:we travelled by air, a first for both of us
the first in a sequence of a vehicle’s gears:he stuck the car in first and revved
Baseball first base:he made it all the way home from first
chiefly British the first form of a school or college.

2foremost in position, rank, or importance:the doctor’s first duty is to respect this right a first prize of £250 career women who put work first football must come first
firstly; in the first place (used to introduce a main point or reason):first, it is wrong that the victims should have no remedy
in preference; rather (used when strongly rejecting a suggestion or possibility):she longed to go abroad, but not at this man’s expense—she’d die first!
the first finisher or position in a race or competition.
[in titles] having precedence over all others of a similar kind:First Lord of the Admiralty
British a place in the top grade in an examination, especially that for a degree:chaps with firsts from Oxbridge
British a person who has received the top grade in an examination for a degree.
(the firsts) the best or main team of a sports club: he was asked to play for the firsts
(firsts) goods of the best quality:factory firsts, seconds, and discontinued styles

3with a specified part or person in a leading position:the car plunged nose first into the river

4 [often with infinitive] the most pressing, likely, or suitable:his first problem is where to live he is the first to admit he was not the best of patients

5 Music performing the highest or chief of two or more parts for the same instrument or voice:the first violins

Phrases

at first: at the beginning; in the initial stage or stages:at first Hugo tried to be patient
at first glance: see glance¹.
at first hand: see first-hand.
at first instance: see instance.
at first sight: see sight.
(the) first among equals: see equal.
first blood: see blood.
first come, first served: used to indicate that people will be dealt with strictly in the order in which they arrive or apply:tickets are available on a first come, first served basis
first and foremost: most importantly; more than anything else:he considered himself first and foremost a writer
first and last: fundamentally; on the whole:museums are first and last about curatorship
first of all: before doing anything else:first of all, let me ask you something; most importantly:German unity depends first of all on the German people
first off: informal, chiefly North American as a first point; firstly:first off, I owe you a heck of an apology
first past the post: (of a contestant, especially a horse) winning a race by being the first to reach the finishing line: Aliysa was first past the post in the 1989 Oaks; [attributive] British denoting an electoral system in which a candidate or party is selected by achievement of a simple majority:our first-past-the-post electoral system
first thing: early in the morning; before anything else:I have to meet Josh first thing tomorrow
first things first: important matters should be dealt with before other things: I suggest we get our priorities right—first things first
first up: British first of all.; Australian/NZ at the first attempt.
from the (very) first: from the beginning:he should have realized it from the first
from first to last: from beginning to end; throughout:it’s a fine performance that commands attention from first to last
get to first base: see base¹.
in the first place: as the first consideration or point:political reality was not quite that simple—in the first place, divisions existed within the parties; at the beginning; to begin with:I should have told you in the first place
of the first order (or magnitude): excellent or considerable of its kind:it is a media event of the first order
of the first water: see water.

Origin:

Old English fyr(e)st; of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse fyrstr and German Fürst 'prince', from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit prathama, Latin primus, and Greek prōtos

first in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of first in the US English dictionary

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Other

first

number

Phrases

at first

at first glance

at first hand

at first instance

at first sight

(the) first among equals

first blood

first come, first served

first and foremost

first and last

first of all

first off

first past the post

first thing

first things first

first up

from the (very) first

from first to last

get to first base

in the first place

of the first order (or magnitude)

of the first water

Origin:

first in other Oxford dictionaries

Nearby words

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