first

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Contents

English[edit]

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Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

English ordinal numbers
 <  0th 1st 2nd   > 
    Ordinal : first
    Cardinal : one

From Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrst, fyrest (“first, foremost, principal, chief, original”), from Proto-Germanic *furistaz (“foremost, first”), superlative of Proto-Germanic *fur, *fura, *furi (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *per-, *pero- (“forward, beyond, around”), equivalent to fore +‎ -est. Cognate with North Frisian foarste (“first”), Dutch voorste (“foremost, first”), German Fürst (“chief, prince”, literally “first (born)”), Swedish första (“first”), Icelandic fyrstur (“first”).

Alternative forms[edit]

Adjective[edit]

first (not comparable)

  1. Having no predecessor. The ordinal number corresponding to one.
    • 1784: William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE
      THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Perſons of the firſt diſtinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ſeveral new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and diſtinguiſh it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.
Alternative forms[edit]
  • 1st; (in names of monarchs and popes) I
Translations[edit]
numeral first

Adverb[edit]

first (not comparable)

  1. Before anything else; firstly.
Translations[edit]
before anything else

Noun[edit]

first (countable and uncountable; plural firsts)

  1. (uncountable) The person or thing in the first position.
    He was the first to complete the course.
  2. (uncountable) The first gear of an engine.
  3. (countable) Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.
    This is a first. For once he has nothing to say.
  4. (countable, baseball) first base
    There was a close play at first.
  5. (countable, UK, colloquial) A first-class honours degree.
  6. (countable, colloquial) A first-edition copy of some publication.
  7. A fraction of an integer ending in one. Oneth.
    One forty-first of the estate.
Translations[edit]
person or thing in the first position
first gear — see first gear
new occurrence
baseball: first base — see first base
UK colloquial: first-class honours degree
colloquial: a first-edition copy

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from the adjective, adverb, or noun first

See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English first, furst, fyrst, from Old English fyrst, fierst, first (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”), from Proto-Germanic *fristaz, *fristą (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest (“period, time”), German Frist (“period, deadline, term”), Swedish frist (“deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit”), Icelandic frestur (“period”). See also frist.

Noun[edit]

first (plural firsts)

  1. (obsolete) Time; time granted; respite.

Statistics[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

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