fə:st 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). øat 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. [OE fyrst f. Gmc]
