first


Definition: Meaning of, first in English to English dictionary.

Pronunciation: / fəːst /

  • adjective
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Word Forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
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  1. in a series coming before all the other things or people in a series
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  2. for the first time used to say that something has never happened or been done before
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  3. main most important
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  4. in the first place used to talk about the beginning of a situation, or the situation before something happened
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  5. in the first place written used to give the first in a list of reasons or points
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  6. in the first instance formal at the start of a situation or series of actions
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  7. at first glance/sight the first time that you look at someone or something, before you notice any details
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  8. first things first used to say that something should be done or dealt with first because it is the most important
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  9. (at) first hand if you see, experience, hear etc something at first hand, you see, experience etc it yourself, not through other people
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  10. first prize/place the prize that is given to the best person or thing in a competition
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  11. first choice the thing or person you like best
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  12. first thing as soon as you get up in the morning, or as soon as you start work
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  13. at first light literary very early in the morning
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  14. make the first move to be the person who starts to do something when someone else is too nervous, embarrassed etc to do it
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  15. not have the first idea about something also not know/understand the first thing about something to not know anything about a subject, or not know how to do something
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  16. the first flush of something the beginning of a good period of time when you are young, successful etc
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  17. job title used in the title of someone's job or position to show that they have a high rank
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  18. first among equals someone who is officially on the same level as other people but really has more power
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  19. of the first water old-fashioned of the highest quality
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  • adverb
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Word Forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
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  1. before anything or anyone else
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  2. before doing anything else, or before anything else happens
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  3. done for the first time
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  4. at the beginning of a situation or activity
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  5. [sentence adverb] also first of all used before saying the first of several things you want to say [=  firstly]
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  6. first off informal before doing anything else
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  7. first off informal used before saying the first of several things you want to say, especially when you are annoyed
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  8. first up British English spoken informal used to introduce the first thing you are going to talk about, or the first thing that is going to happen
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  9. put somebody/something first to consider someone or something as the most important person or thing
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  10. come first to be the most important person or thing to someone
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  11. come first to win a competition
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  12. first and foremost used to emphasize the most important quality, purpose, reason etc
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  13. first and last used to emphasize that something is the most important thing or quality
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  14. first come, first served used to say that something will be given to the people who ask for it first, when there is not enough for everyone
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  • noun
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Word Forms:
Singular Plural
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  1. at first used to talk about the beginning of a situation, especially when it is different now
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  2. [countable usually singular] something that has never happened or been done before
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  3. from the (very) first from the beginning of a situation
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  4. [countable] the highest mark you can get in a university DEGREE in Britain
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  5. [uncountable] the lowest GEAR in a car or other vehicle, that you use when moving slowly [=  first gear]
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  • pronoun
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Word Forms:
Singular Plural
  1. the first the first person to do something, or the first thing to happen
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  2. the first I knew/heard used when you have just discovered something that other people already know, and you are slightly annoyed
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  3. the First spoken used after the name of a king, queen, or Pope when other later ones have the same name
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first used in phrases

  • Euclid's first axiom (noun)
    1. a straight line can be drawn between any two points
  • First Amendment (noun)
    1. law an amendment to the Constitution of the United States guaranteeing the right of free expression; includes freedom of assembly and freedom of the press and freedom of religion and freedom of speech
  • First Amendment, the
    1. a part of the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES which gives US citizens the right of freedom of speech, freedom of the PRESS (= newspapers, radio, and television), freedom of religion, and freedom of ASSEMBLY (= the right of any group to meet together) . Many cases concerning these rights have been taken to the SUPREME COURT .
  • First Baron Beveridge (noun)
    1. 1879-1963 born in India british economist whose report on social insurance provided the basis for most of the social legislation on which the welfare state in the United Kingdom is based
  • First Baron Kelvin (noun)
    1. 1824-1907 british physicist who invented the Kelvin scale of temperature and pioneered undersea telegraphy
  • First Baron Lytton (noun)
    1. 1803-1873 english writer of historical romances
  • First Baron Macaulay (noun)
    1. 1800-1859 english historian noted for his history of England
  • First Baron Marks of Broughton (noun)
    1. 1888-1964 english businessman who created a retail chain
  • First Baron Passfield (noun)
    1. 1859-1947 english sociologist and economist and a central member of the Fabian Society
  • First Baron Rutherford (noun)
    1. 1871-1937 born in New Zealand british physicist who discovered the atomic nucleus and proposed a nuclear model of the atom
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