1. (noun) first, number one
the first or highest in an ordering or series
"He wanted to be the first"
2. (noun) first, number one, number 1
the first element in a countable series
"the first of the month"
3. (noun) beginning, commencement, first, outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time, showtime, offset
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"
4. (noun) first base, first
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)
5. (noun) first, first-class honours degree
an honours degree of the highest class
6. (adj) first gear, first, low gear, low
the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving
7. (adj) first
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"
8. (adj) first, 1st
indicating the beginning unit in a series
9. (adj) inaugural, initiative, initiatory, first, maiden
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"
10. (adj) beginning(a), first
serving to begin
"the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"
11. (adj) first, foremost, world-class
ranking above all others
"was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"
12. (adverb) first
highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections
"first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn"
13. (adverb) first, firstly, foremost, first of all, first off
before anything else
"first we must consider the garter snake"
14. (adverb) first, for the first time
the initial time
"when Felix first saw a garter snake"
15. (adverb) first
before another in time, space, or importance
"I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
16. (adverb) foremost, first
prominently forward
"he put his best foot foremost"
|
Definition of 'first' 
