first

Definitions

1. adjective

   Coming before all others.

   Examples

   • Hancock was the first to arrive.
   • The first day of September was a Sunday.
   ≈maiden
2. adjective

   The best or most important.

   Examples

   • She is the first violinist in the orchestra.
   • He is the first lawyer in the city.
3. adjective

   Used before an animal or family member of a leader, such as a president.

   Examples

   • The First Lady greeted the guests at the door.
   • The First Dog ran across the lawn.
4. adjective

   The one after the zeroth, in computer counting that starts at zero.

   Examples

   • In a list that starts at zero, the first item is at position one.
   • Programmers often confuse the zeroth item with the first.
5. adverb

   Before anything else.

   Examples

   • Clean the sink first, before you start cooking.
   • I plunged nose first into the water.
6. adverb

   For the first time.

   Examples

   • I first saw snow when I was nine years old.
   • She first tried skiing on a trip to Colorado.
7. noun

   The person or thing in the first position.

   Examples

   • He was the first to finish the course.
   • She was the first in her family to go to college.
8. noun

   The first gear of a car.

   Examples

   • He shifted into first as the light turned green.
   • The car struggled in first up the steep hill.
9. noun

   Something that has never happened before.

   Examples

   • This is a first. For once he has nothing to say.
   • Winning the prize was a first for our school.
10. noun

    The first base in baseball.

    Examples

    • There was a close play at first.
    • He was thrown out trying to reach first.