First word meaning and definition

[noun] the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first base
[noun] the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving
[noun] (Great Britain) an honours degree of the highest class
[noun] the first element in a countable series; "the first of the month"
[noun] the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first"
[noun] the time at which something begins; "They got an early start"
[adv] before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake"
[adv] the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake"
[adv] prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost"
[adv] before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
[adjective] being the gear producing the lowest drive speed; "use first gear on steep hills"
[adjective] ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"
[adjective] serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"
[adjective] 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"
[adjective] 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"
[adjective] (music) highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn"
[adjective] indicating the beginning unit in a series

\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.
\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.
\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.

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