(Eng. Universities)
a. [ OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form of E. for, fore. See For, Fore, and cf. Formeer, Foremost. ]
At first blush.
At first hand,
First coat (Plastering),
First day,
First floor.
First fruit
First fruits
From thy implanted grace in man! Milton.
First mate,
First name,
First officer (Naut.),
First sergeant (Mil.),
First watch (Naut.),
First water,
adv. Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in composition with adjectives and participles. [ 1913 Webster ]
Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Tim. ii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]
At first,
At the first
First or last,
And all are fools and lovers first or last. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
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 preëminence in the combined effect. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Medical care provided immediately after an injury or sudden illness for the purpose of minimizing injurious effects, before more complete medical care becomes available. [ PJC ]
a. First brought forth; first in the order of birth; eldest; hence, most excellent; most distinguished or exalted;
n. The first child born to a parent;
a. Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first-rate;
First-class car
First-class railway carriage
adj. distributed in order to those who request it in person; not subject to reservation for later delivery. Contrasted with
a. Obtained directly from the first or original source; hence, without the intervention of an agent; -- of information;
One sphere there is . . . where the apprehension of him is first-hand and direct; and that is the sphere of our own mind. J. Martineau. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ First + -ling. ]
The very firstlings of my heart shall be
The firstlings of my hand. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Firstborn. [ 1913 Webster ]
All the firstling males. Deut. xv. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. In the first place; before anything else; -- sometimes improperly used for first. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. decaying at an exponential rate; -- a mathematical concept applied to various types of decay, such as radioactivity and chemical reactions. In first order decay, the amount of material decaying in a given period of time is directly proportional to the amount of material remaining. This may be expressed by the differential equation:
a. Of the highest excellence; preëminent in quality, size, or estimation. [ 1913 Webster ]
Our only first-rate body of contemporary poetry is the German. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]
Hermocrates . . . a man of first-rate ability. Jowett (Thucyd). [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Naut.) A war vessel of the highest grade or the most powerful class. [ 1913 Webster ]
adj.
n. One who is first-rate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
adj. First to play in a game; not reserved as a substitute; -- of members of a team. Also used in non-sports contexts to mean first-rate. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]
adj. Being in the first year of an experience especially in a U. S. high school or college; -- of a person.