first

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first

(fûrst)

1. The ordinal number matching the number one in a series.

2. The one coming, occurring, or ranking before or above all others.

3. The beginning; the outset: from the first; at first.

4. Music The voice or instrument highest in pitch or carrying the principal part.

5. The transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle.

6. The winning position in a contest: finished the season in first.

7. Baseball

a. First base.

b. A first baseman.

adj.

1. Corresponding in order to the number one.

2. Coming before all others in order or location: the first house on your left.

3. Occurring or acting before all others in time; earliest: the first day of spring.

4. Ranking above all others, as in importance or quality; foremost: was first in the class.

5. Music Being highest in pitch or carrying the principal part: first trumpet.

6. Of, relating to, or being the transmission gear or corresponding gear ratio used to produce the range of lowest drive speeds in a motor vehicle.

7. Of, related to, or being a member of the US president's household: first daughter Sasha Obama.

adv.

1. Before or above all others in time, order, rank, or importance: arrived first; forgot to light the oven first.

2. For the first time.

3. Rather; preferably: would die first.

4. In the first place; to begin with; firstly.

Idiom:

first off/thing

From the start; immediately: Why wasn't I told first off? When I get to work, I have to call my lawyer first thing.

[Middle English, from Old English fyrst; see per in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

first

(fɜːst)

adj (usually prenominal)

a. coming before all others; earliest, best, or foremost

b. (as noun): I was the first to arrive.

2. (Mathematics) preceding all others in numbering or counting order; the ordinal number of one. Often written: 1st

3. rated, graded, or ranked above all other levels

4. (Automotive Engineering) denoting the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

5. (Music, other) music

a. denoting the highest part assigned to one of the voice parts in a chorus or one of the sections of an orchestra: first soprano; the first violins.

b. denoting the principal player in a specific orchestral section: he plays first horn.

6. first thing as the first action of the day: I'll see you first thing tomorrow.

7. first things first things must be done in order of priority

8. the first thing (in negative constructions) even one thing: he doesn't know the first thing about me.

9. the beginning; outset: I knew you were a rogue from the first; I couldn't see at first because of the mist.

10. (Education) education chiefly Brit an honours degree of the highest class. Full term: first-class honours degree

11. something which has not occurred before: a first for the company.

12. (Automotive Engineering) the lowest forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle; low gear

13. (Music, other) music

a. the highest part in a particular section of a chorus or orchestra

b. the instrument or voice taking such a part

c. the chief or leading player in a section of an orchestra; principal

14. (Music, other) music a rare word for prime¹¹

adv

15. before anything else in order, time, preference, importance, etc: do this first; first, remove the head and tail of the fish.

16. first and last on the whole; overall

17. from first to last throughout

18. for the first time: I've loved you since I first saw you.

19. (sentence modifier) in the first place or beginning of a series of actions: first I want to talk about criminality.

[Old English fyrest; related to Old Saxon furist, Old Norse fyrstr, German Fürst prince, one who is first in rank]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

first

(fɜrst)

adj.

1. being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one.

2. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: first alto; first horn.

3. low (def. 28).

4. (often cap.) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the U.S. or of the governor of a state: the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog.

adv.

5. before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.

6. before some other thing, event, etc.: If you're going, phone first.

7. for the first time.

8. in preference to something else; rather; sooner: I'd die first.

9. in the first place; firstly.

10. the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.

11. the beginning.

12. the first part; first member of a series.

13. the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, esp. in an orchestra or chorus.

14. low gear; first gear.

15. the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.

16. Usu., firsts. products of the highest quality or those produced without flaws.

Idioms:

1. at first sight, at the first glimpse; at once: love at first sight.

2. first off, at the outset; immediately.

[before 1000; Middle English; Old English fyr(e)st]

first′ness, n.

first

– firstly

1. 'first' used as an adjective

The first thing, event, or person of a particular kind is the one that comes before all the others.

She lost 16 pounds in the first month of her diet.

Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space.

If you want to emphasize that a thing, event, or person is the first one of their kind, you can put very in front of first.

The very first thing I do when I get home is have a cup of tea.

2. 'first' used as an adverb

If an event happens before other events, you say that it happens first.

Rani spoke first.

When people get their newspaper, which page do they read first?

Be Careful!
Don't use 'firstly' with this meaning. Don't say, for example, 'Rani spoke firstly'.

3. 'first' and 'firstly' used as sentence adverbials

You can use first or firstly to introduce the first point in a discussion, the first of a series of questions or instructions, or the first item in a list.

First, mix the eggs and flour.

There are two reasons why I'm angry. Firstly you're late, and secondly, you've forgotten your homework.

If you want to emphasize that an item is the first one you are going to mention, you can say first of all.

I have made a commitment, first of all to myself, and secondly to my family.

First of all, I'd like to thank you all for coming.

Be Careful!
Don't say 'firstly of all'.

4. 'at first'

When you are contrasting feelings or actions at the beginning of an event with ones that came later, you say at first.

At first I was reluctant.

At first I thought that the shop was empty, then from behind one of the counters a man appeared.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'firstly' in sentences like these.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	first - the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first" number one former - the first of two or the first mentioned of two; "Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered today" rank - relative status; "his salary was determined by his rank and seniority"
	2.	first - the first element in a countable series; "the first of the month" number 1, number one no., ordinal, ordinal number - the number designating place in an ordered sequence
	3.	first - 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" offset, outset, showtime, commencement, get-go, starting time, beginning, kickoff, start birth - the time when something begins (especially life); "they divorced after the birth of the child"; "his election signaled the birth of a new age" incipience, incipiency - beginning to exist or to be apparent; "he placed the incipience of democratic faith at around 1850"; "it is designed to arrest monopolies in their incipiency" point in time, point - an instant of time; "at that point I had to leave" starting point, terminus a quo - earliest limiting point threshold - the starting point for a new state or experience; "on the threshold of manhood"
	4.	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) first base position - (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?" baseball team - a team that plays baseball
	5.	first - an honours degree of the highest class first-class honours degree honours, honours degree - a university degree with honors double first - a first-class honours degree in two subjects Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
	6.	first - the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving first gear, low gear, low auto, automobile, car, motorcar, machine - a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work" gear mechanism, gear - a mechanism for transmitting motion for some specific purpose (as the steering gear of a vehicle)
Adj.	1.	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" front - relating to or located in the front; "the front lines"; "the front porch" early - at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties" original - being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; "a truly original approach"; "with original music"; "an original mind" primary - of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary; "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest" last - coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining; "the last time I saw Paris"; "the last day of the month"; "had the last word"; "waited until the last minute"; "he raised his voice in a last supreme call"; "the last game of the season"; "down to his last nickel"
	2.	first - indicating the beginning unit in a series 1st ordinal - being or denoting a numerical order in a series; "ordinal numbers"; "held an ordinal rank of seventh"
	3.	first - 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" initiative, initiatory, maiden, inaugural opening - first or beginning; "the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth"; "the play's opening scene"
	4.	first - serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse" beginning opening - first or beginning; "the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth"; "the play's opening scene"
	5.	first - ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate" foremost, world-class best - (superlative of `good') having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit"
	6.	first - highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner second - a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first; "second flute"; "the second violins"
Adv.	1.	first - before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake" first of all, first off, firstly, foremost
	2.	first - the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake" for the first time
	3.	first - before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first"
	4.	first - prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost" foremost

first

adjective

1. earliest, original, primitive, primordial, primeval The first men of this race lived like gods.

2. initial, opening, earliest, maiden, introductory, pristine the first few flakes of snow

3. top, best, winning, premier The first prize is thirty-one thousand pounds.

4. elementary, key, basic, primary, fundamental, cardinal, rudimentary, elemental It is time to go back to first principles.

5. foremost, highest, greatest, leading, head, ruling, chief, prime, supreme, principal, paramount, overriding, pre-eminent The first priority for development is to defeat inflation.

adverb

1. to begin with, firstly, initially, at the beginning, in the first place, beforehand, to start with, at the outset, before all else I do not remember who spoke first.

noun

1. novelty, innovation, originality, new experience It is a first for New York.

from the first from the start, from the beginning, from the outset, from the very beginning, from the introduction, from the starting point, from the inception, from the commencement, from the word `go' (informal) You knew about me from the first, didn't you?

Quotations
"Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first" Bible: St. Mark

Proverbs
"First come, first served"
"First things first"

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

first

adjective

1. Preceding all others in time:

earliest, initial, maiden, original, pioneer, primary, prime, primordial.

2. At or near the start of a period, development, or series:

beginning, early, initial.

3. Most important, influential, or significant:

capital, cardinal, chief, foremost, key, leading, main, major, number one, paramount, premier, primary, prime, principal, top.

Translations

أولأَوَّل أَوَّلاًأوَّلاالأوَّل

primer

nejdříveprvnípoprvé

førstførstetopkarakter

zuerst erste Erster erst

πρώτος πρώτα πρωτιά

unua

primero primicia antes en primer lugar primera

esimene

ensimmäinenensinkertaykkönen

premier premièrement prime primo unième

ראשון

prviprvo

első

fyrsturá undan

primo per primo prima prima classe prima di tutto

最初に最初の最初のもの

맨 첫처음으로첫 번째의

primus

pirmaspirmapirmagimispirmasispirmiausia

pirmaispirmkārtvispirms

eerste

begynnelse først første

pierwszy po raz pierwszy pierwsze miejsce

primeiro primeira primeiramente

первый сначала то во-первых начальный

najskôr

najprejprviprvič

ettaförstförstehögsta betyg

ครั้งแรกที่หนึ่งอย่างแรก

ilkilk kişi/şeyilkin öncebirinci kişi/şey

cơ bảnđầu tiêntrước hết

第一首先第一的先

first

[fɜːst]

A. ADJ → primero; (before m sing n) → primer
I was first! → ¡yo iba or estaba primero!
during the first three months of pregnancy → durante los primeros tres meses de embarazo
he felt a bit lonely for the first few days → los primeros días se sentía un poco solo
the first three correct answers win a prize → las tres primeras respuestas correctas se llevan un premio
first-past-the-post system (Parl) sistema de votación por mayoría relativa
at first → al principio
on the first floor (Brit) → en el primer piso (US) → en la planta baja
at first hand → directamente
from first to last → de principio a fin
in the first place → en primer lugar
to win first place (in competition) → conseguir el primer puesto, ganar
to win first prize → ganar el primer premio
first strike weapon → arma f de primer golpe
the first time → la primera vez
see also instance A2
see also thing A2

B. ADV

1. (in place, priority) → primero
first one, then another → primero uno, después otro
we arrived first → fuimos los primeros en llegar, llegamos los primeros
ladies first → las señoras primero
women and children first! → ¡las mujeres y los niños primero!
first of all → ante todo, antes que nada
to come first (in race) → ganar, llegar el primero; (= have priority) → estar primero, tener prioridad
the customer/your homework must come first → el cliente es lo primero/tus deberes son lo primero
first and foremost → ante todo, antes que nada
to get in first (in conversation, process) → adelantarse
you go first! → ¡tú primero!, ¡pasa tú!
head first → de cabeza
you have to put your children's needs first → primero están las necesidades de tus hijos
first come, first served → el que llega primero tiene prioridad
free tickets, on a first-come-first-served basis → entradas gratis, por riguroso orden de llegada

2. (in time) (= before anything else) → primero, antes de nada
first, I need a drink → primero or antes de nada or antes que nada, necesito una copa
first, I don't like it, second, I haven't got the money → lo primero: no me gusta, lo segundo: no dispongo del dinero
first and last (= above all) → por encima de todo
first off → primero de todo, antes de nada

3. (= for the first time) → por primera vez
the word was first used in 1835 → la palabra se usó por primera vez en 1835
I first met him in Paris → lo conocí en París

4. (= rather) → primero, antes
let him in this house? I'd kill him first! → ¿dejarle pisar esta casa? ¡primero or antes lo mato!
I'd die first! → ¡antes me muero!

C. PRON the first of January → el primero de enero, el uno de enero
it's the first I've heard of it → ahora me entero, no lo sabía
Charles the First → Carlos Primero
he came in an easy first → llegó el primero con ventaja
from the (very) first → desde el principio
to be the first to do sth → ser el primero en hacer algo
they were the first to arrive → fueron los primeros en llegar, llegaron los primeros

D. N

1. (Aut) → primera f
in first → en primera

2. (Brit) (Univ) → sobresaliente m
he got a first in French → se ha licenciado en francés con una media de sobresaliente DEGREE

E. CPD first aid N → primeros auxilios mpl
first-aid box = first-aid kit first-aid course → curso m de primeros auxilios
first-aid kit → botiquín m de primeros auxilios
first-aid post; first-aid station (US) → puesto m de socorro
first base N (Baseball) → primera base f
not to get to first base (US) → quedar en agua de borrajas
first degree N → licenciatura f
first edition N → primera edición f; [of early or rare book] → edición f príncipe
first form or year N (Scol) primer curso de secundaria
first-year student (Univ) → estudiante mf de primer año (de carrera universitaria)
first gear N (Aut) → primera f
first lady N (US) → primera dama f
the first lady of jazz → la gran dama del jazz
first language N (= mother tongue) → lengua f materna; [of country] → lengua f principal
first lieutenant N (US) (Aer) → teniente mf (Brit) (Naut) → teniente mf de navío
first light N → amanecer m, alba f
at first light → al amanecer, al alba
first mate N → primer oficial m, primera oficial f
first minister N (in Scotland) → ministro/ministra m/f principal
first name N → nombre m (de pila)
to be on first name terms with sb → tutear a algn
first night N (Theat) → estreno m
first offender N (Jur) → delincuente mf sin antecedentes penales
first officer N → primer oficial m, primera oficial f
first performance N (Theat, Mus) → estreno m
first person N (Ling) → primera persona f
first school N (Brit) escuela para niños entre cinco y nueve años
first violin N → primer violín m, primera violín f
see also cousin

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

first

[ˈfɜː^rst]

adj

(in time, position, group, series) → premier/ière
the first time → la première fois
to win first prize → remporter le premier prix
a first prize of £1000 → 1000 livres en guise de premier prix
in the first instance → en premier lieu
first thing adv (= before anything else)
I'll do it first thing tomorrow → Je le ferai demain matin à la première heure.
not to know the first thing about sth (= anything at all) → ne rien connaître à qch
We didn't know the first thing about running a restaurant → Nous ne connaissions rien à la gestion d'un restaurant.

(in importance) → premier/ière
first things first! → les choses importantes d'abord !

adv

(= before others) → le premier(la)/ière
Ralph spoke first → Ralph a parlé le premier.
Jenny arrived first → Jenny est arrivée la première.
to come first (in race) → arriver premier/ière
Rachel came first → Rachel est arrivée première.
head first → la tête la première
feet first → les pieds devant

(= before that) → d'abord
I want to get a job, but first I have to pass my exams → Je veux trouver du travail, mais d'abord je dois réussir mes examens.

to put sth/sb first (= give priority to) → donner la priorité à qch/qn

(= for the first time) → pour la première fois
They first met in 2002 → Ils se sont rencontrés pour la première fois en 2002.

(when listing reasons) → en premier lieu, premièrement
first of all → tout d'abord, pour commencer
first off → tout d'abord

(= person) → premier/ière m/f
to be the first to do sth → être le premier à faire qch
He was the first to film them → Il a été le premier à les filmer.
She was the first to arrive → Elle est arrivée la première.
first come first served → les premiers arrivés seront les premiers servis

to be a first for sb → être une première pour qn

(British) (also first-class degree) → mention f très bien, licence f avec mention très bien

(AUTOMOBILES) (also first gear) → première f

(= first day) the first of January → le premier janvier
on the first → le premier

(= start) at first → au commencement, au début
from the first → dès le début
from the very first → au tout début

(also first thing)
The first I heard of it was → La première fois que j'en ai entendu parler était ...
That was the first I knew of it → Je n'étais pas au courant avant.first aid n → premiers secours mpl, premiers soins mplfirst aider [ˌfɜː^rstˈeɪdə^r] n → secouriste mffirst-aid kit n → trousse f à pharmacie, trousse f de premiers secoursfirst blood n
to draw first blood → remporter le premier round, remporter le premier tour
first blood to sb → premier round en faveur de qn, première manche en faveur de qnfirst born first-born [ˈfɜː^rstbɔː^rn] n (= child) → premier-né (première-née)m/ffirst-born [ˌfɜː^rstˈbɔː^rn] adj → premier-né(première-née)first-class first class [ˌfɜː^rstˈklɑːs]

adj

[ticket, carriage] → de première classe
She has booked a first-class ticket → Elle a réservé un billet de première classe.

(= excellent) → excellent(e), exceptionnel(le)
a first-class meal → un excellent repas

a first-class stamp → un timbre en tarif prioritaire
a first-class letter → une lettre en tarif prioritaire

adv

[travel, fly] → en première classe

to send a letter first class → envoyer une lettre en tarif prioritaire
to post a letter first class → envoyer une lettre en tarif prioritairefirst cousin n → cousin(e) m/f germain(e)first degree n (UNIVERSITY) → licence ffirst-degree burn n → brûlure f au premier degréfirst degree murder n → meurtre m avec préméditation
to be charged with first-degree murder → être accusé(e) de meurtre avec préméditationfirst edition n → première édition ffirst ever first-ever adj → tout(e) premier/ièrefirst family n (US) [president] the first family → la famille du présidentfirst floor n

(British) (= floor above the ground floor) → premier étage m
on the first floor → au premier étage, au premier

(US) (= ground floor) → rez-de-chaussée m
on the first floor → au rez-de-chausséefirst-floor [ˌfɜː^rstˈflɔː^r] modif

(British) (on the floor above the ground floor) [flat, sitting room, restaurant, balcony] → au premier étage

(US) (= ground-floor) [apartment] → au rez-de-chausséefirst form n (British) → sixième f, classe f de sixièmefirst fruits npl → premiers résultats mplfirst-generation [ˌfɜː^rstdʒɛnəˈreɪʃ^ən] adj → de la première générationfirst grade n (US) → cours m préparatoirefirst-grade [ˌfɜː^rstˈgreɪd] adj (US) [teacher, class, student] → du cours préparatoirefirst-grader [ˌfɜː^rstˈgreɪdə^r] n → élève mf de CPfirst hand n
at first hand → directement
to see sth at first hand → constater qch directementfirst hand firsthand, first-hand [ˌfɜː^rstˈhænd] adv [know, experience, see] → directementfirst-hand firsthand [ˌfɜː^rstˈhænd] adj [experience, knowledge] → de première mainfirst lady n

(US) (= wife of president) → première dame f des États-Unis

the first lady of jazz → la plus grande dame du jazzfirst language n → première langue ffirst lieutenant n

(British) (in navy) → lieutenant m de vaisseau

(US) (in air force) → lieutenant m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

first

adj → erste(r, s); his first novel → sein Erstlingsroman m; he was first in the queue (Brit) or in line (US) → er war der Erste in der Schlange; he was first in Latin → er war der Beste in Latein; who’s first? → wer ist der Erste?; I’m first, I’ve been waiting longer than you → ich bin zuerst an der Reihe, ich warte schon länger als Sie; the first time I saw her … → als ich sie zum ersten Mal sah, …; is it your first time? → machst du das zum ersten Mal?; there always has to be a first time → einmal ist immer das erste Mal; we managed it the very first time → wir haben es auf Anhieb geschafft; in first place (Sport etc) → an erster Stelle; to be or lie in first place → an erster Stelle liegen; in the first place → zunächst or erstens einmal; why didn’t you say so in the first place? → warum hast du denn das nicht gleich gesagt?; first time around → beim ersten Mal

adv

→ zuerst; (= before all the others) arrive, leave → als erste(r, s); first, take three eggs → zuerst or als Erstes nehme man drei Eier; that’s not what you said first → zuerst hast du etwas anderes gesagt; first come first served (prov) → wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst (Prov); on a first come first served basis → nach dem Prinzip „wer zuerst kommt, mahlt zuerst“; women and children first → Frauen und Kinder zuerst; ladies first → Ladies first!, den Damen der Vortritt; you (go) first → nach Ihnen; he says first one thing then another → er sagt mal so, mal so; before he says anything I want to get in first with a few comments → bevor er irgendetwas sagt, möchte ich einige Bemerkungen anbringen; what comes first in your order of priorities? → was steht bei Ihnen an erster Stelle?, was ist Ihnen am wichtigsten?; but, darling, you know you always come first → aber, mein Schatz, du weißt doch, dass du bei mir immer an erster Stelle stehst; he always puts his job first → seine Arbeit kommt bei ihm immer vor allen anderen Dingen

(= before all else) → als Erstes, zunächst; (in listing) → erstens; first of all (= before all else, mainly) → vor allem; first (of all) I’m going for a swim → als Erstes or zu(aller)erst gehe ich schwimmen; why can’t I? — well, first of all or first off (inf), it’s not yours and secondly … → warum denn nicht? — nun, zunächst or erstens einmal gehört es nicht dir und zweitens …; first and foremost → zunächst; first and foremost, he is a writer → zuallererst ist er Schriftsteller; first and last he is an Englishman → er ist durch und durch Engländer

(= for the first time) → zum ersten Mal, das erste Mal; when did you first meet him? → wann haben Sie ihn das erste Mal or zum ersten Mal getroffen?; when this model was first introduced → zu Anfang or zuerst, als das Modell herauskam; when it first became known that … → als erstmals bekannt wurde, dass …; this work was first performed/published in 1997 → dieses Werk wurde 1997 uraufgeführt/erstveröffentlicht

(= before: in time) → (zu)erst; I must finish this first → ich muss das erst fertig machen; think first before you sign anything → überlegen Sie es sich, bevor Sie etwas unterschreiben

(in preference) → eher, lieber; I’d die first! → eher or lieber würde ich sterben!

(Naut, Rail) to travel first → erster Klasse reisen

the first → der/die/das Erste; (= former) → der/die/das Erstere; he was among the (very) first to arrive → er war unter den Ersten or Allerersten, die ankamen; they were the first to congratulate me → sie gratulierten mir als Erste; he was the first home/to finish → er war als Erster zu Hause/fertig; (in race) → er ging als Erster durchs Ziel; she wore a blouse and a skirt, but the first was too tight and the second too baggy → sie trug eine Bluse und einen Rock, aber erstere war zu eng und letzterer zu weit

this is the first I’ve heard of it → das ist mir ja ganz neu; the first he knew about it was when he saw it in the paper → er hat erst davon erfahren, als er es in der Zeitung las

at first → zuerst, zunächst; from the first → von Anfang an; from first to last → von Anfang bis Ende

(Brit Univ) → Eins f, → Note f → „Eins“; he got a first → er bestand (sein Examen) mit „Eins“ or „sehr gut“; he was supposed to get a first → er war ein Einserkandidat

it’s a first (= first time ever done) → es ist das allererste Mal(, das so was gemacht wird); it’s a first for me/the firm (= new experience) → ich habe/die Firma hat noch nie so etwas gemacht; this is a first for the city → das passiert zum ersten Mal in der Stadt

(Aut) first (gear) → der erste (Gang); in first → im ersten (Gang)

(US Baseball) → erstes Base or Mal ? also sixth

first

first aid

n → Erste Hilfe; to give first → Erste Hilfe leisten

first-aid box

n (Brit) → Verband(s)kasten m

first-aid kit

n → Verband(s)kasten m

first-aid post, first-aid station

n → Sanitätswache f

first-born

adj → erstgeboren

n → Erstgeborene(r) mf

first class

n (Rail, Post etc) → erste Klasse

adj pred (= excellent) he’s first at cooking/tennis → er ist ein erstklassiger Koch/Tennisspieler; that’s absolutely first! → das ist einfach Spitze! (inf)

first-class

adj attr

(= excellent) → erstklassig; he’s a first cook → er ist ein erstklassiger Koch

(Rail, Aviat, Tourism) flight, train, ticket, cabin → erster Klasse; a first hotel → ein Erste-Klasse-Hotel nt, → ein Hotel nt → erster Klasse; first travel → Reisen pl → erster Klasse; a first ticket → eine Fahrkarte erster Klasse; a first compartment → ein Erste-Klasse-Abteil nt; first passengers → Reisende pl → in der ersten Klasse

(Post) first mail bevorzugt beförderte Post; first postage/stamp Porto/Briefmarke für die bevorzugt beförderte Post; first letter bevorzugt beförderter Brief

(Brit Univ) first (honours) degree → Examen nt → mit „Eins“ or „sehr gut“; he graduated with first honours → er machte sein Examen mit „Eins“ or „sehr gut“

(Sport) career, innings etc → in der obersten Spielklasse; first cricket die oberste Kricket-Spielklasse to play first cricket in der obersten Kricket-Spielklasse spielen

adv

(Aviat, Naut, Rail) travel, fly → erster Klasse

(Post) to send something first → etw mit der bevorzugt beförderten Post schicken

first costs

pl (Comm) → Selbstkosten pl, → Gestehungskosten pl

first cousin

n → Vetter m → or Cousin m → /Cousine f → or Kusine f → ersten Grades

first-day cover

n → Ersttagsbrief m

first-degree burn

n → Verbrennung f → ersten Grades

first edition

n → Erstausgabe f

first-foot

vt (Scot) → einen Neujahrsbesuch abstatten (+dat)

first form

n (Brit Sch) → erste Klasse

first-former

n (Brit Sch) → Erstklässler(in) m(f)

first-generation

adj citizen, computer → der ersten Generation

first-hand

adj information, experience, knowledge → aus erster Hand; to have first knowledge of something → etw aus eigener Erfahrung kennen; they have first experience of charitable organizations → sie haben persönlich Erfahrungen mit Wohlfahrtsverbänden gemacht

adv hear, learn, experience, witness → persönlich, aus erster Hand; see → mit eigenen Augen; they experienced police brutality first or at first hand → sie haben die Brutalität der Polizei am eigenen Leibe erfahren

First Lady

n → First Lady f

first language

n → Muttersprache f

first lieutenant

n → Oberleutnant m

first light

n → Tagesanbruch m, → Morgengrauen nt; at first → bei Tagesanbruch, im Morgengrauen

first

first mate

n (Naut) → Erster Offizier, Erste Offizierin; (on small boats) → Bestmann m

First Minister

n (Brit Pol) → Erster Minister, Erste Ministerin

first name

n → Vorname m; they’re on first terms → sie reden sich mit Vornamen an

first night

n (Theat) → Premiere f; first nerves → Premierenfieber nt

first-nighter

n → Premierenbesucher(in) m(f)

first offender

n → Ersttäter(in) m(f); he is a first → er ist nicht vorbestraft

first officer

n (Naut) → Erster Offizier, Erste Offizierin

first-past-the-post system

n (Pol) → Mehrheitswahlrecht nt

first performance

n (Theat) → Uraufführung f; (Mus also) → Erstaufführung f

first person

n → erste Person; the first plural → die erste Person Plural; the story is in the first → die Geschichte ist in der ersten Person geschrieben or wird von einem Icherzähler/einer Icherzählerin erzählt

first-person

adj first narrator → Icherzähler(in) m(f); first narrative → Icherzählung f

first principles

pl → Grundprinzipien pl; to go back or return to first → zu den Grundlagen zurückkehren

first-rate

adj → erstklassig; the orchestra was first → das Orchester hat ausgezeichnet gespielt; they did a first job → sie haben erstklassige or ausgezeichnete Arbeit geleistet

first refusal

n → Vorkaufsrecht nt; to give somebody (the) first → jdm das Vorkaufsrecht einräumen; to have (the) first on → das Vorkaufsrecht haben für

first responder

n usu pl → Ersthelfer m, Rettungskräfte wie Feuerwehr, Polizei etc, die als erste am Unglücksort eintreffen

first school

n (= Brit) → Grundschule f

first-strike weapon

n → Erstschlagwaffe f

first thing

n she just says the first that comes into her head → sie sagt einfach das, was ihr zuerst einfällt; you don’t have to buy the first you see → du brauchst nicht das zu kaufen, was du zuerst siehst; the first (to do) is to … → als Erstes muss man …; the first I knew about it was when James told me → ich erfuhr es erst, als James es mir erzählte; the first I knew he’d taken the lot → ehe ich michs versah, hatte er alles genommen; the first to remember is that she hates formality → man muss vor allem daran denken, dass sie Förmlichkeit nicht mag; firsts first → eins nach dem anderen, immer (hübsch) der Reihe nach; (= most important first) → das Wichtigste zuerst; you have to put firsts first → du musst wissen, was am wichtigsten ist; he doesn’t know the first about it/cars → davon/von Autos hat er nicht die geringste Ahnung

adv → gleich; I’ll go first in the morning/when I get back → ich gehe gleich morgen früh/gleich, wenn ich wieder da bin; I’m not at my best first (in the morning) → früh am Morgen bin ich nicht gerade in Hochform; do it first before you forget → mach es gleich, ehe du es vergisst

first-time buyer

n jd, der zum ersten Mal ein Haus/eine Wohnung kauft, → Erstkäufer(in) m(f)

first-timer

n (inf)

(= novice) → Neuling m

(Comm) → Erstkäufer(in) m(f)

first violin

n → erste Geige; he plays first → er spielt erste Geige

First World War

n the first → der Erste Weltkrieg

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

first

[fɜːst]

1. adj → primo/a
the first of January → il primo (di) gennaio
the first time → la prima volta
Charles the First → Carlo Primo
to win first place → arrivare primo
in the first place → per prima cosa, innanzitutto
in the first instance → in primo luogo, prima di tutto
first thing in the morning → la mattina presto
I'll do it first thing tomorrow → lo farò per prima cosa domani
first things first! → prima le cose più importanti!
I don't know the first thing about it (fam) → non ne so un bel niente

2. adv

a. (firstly) → prima; (before other things) → per primo/a; (when listing reasons) → per prima cosa
first one, then another → prima uno, poi un altro
first of all → prima di tutto
first and foremost → prima di tutto, innanzitutto
first and last (above all) → prima di tutto
ladies first! → prima le signore!
we arrived first → siamo arrivati per primi
she came first in the race → è arrivata prima nella gara
at first → sulle prime, all'inizio, dapprima
finish this work first → finisci questo lavoro prima
head first → a capofitto

b. (for the first time) → per la prima volta
I first met him in Paris → l'ho incontrato per la prima volta a Parigi

c. (rather) → piuttosto
I'd die first! → piuttosto morirei!

3. n (person, in race) → primo/a
the first to arrive → il/la primo/a ad arrivare
first come, first served → chi tardi arriva, male alloggia
from the (very) first → fin dall'inizio, fin dal primo momento
from first to last → dall'inizio alla fine
in first (gear) (Aut) → in prima (marcia)
he gained a first in French (Brit) (Univ) (class of degree) → si è laureato in francese col massimo dei voti

first

(fəːst) adjective, adverb

before all others in place, time or rank. the first person to arrive; The boy spoke first.

adverb

before doing anything else. `Shall we eat now?' `Wash your hands first!

noun

the person, animal etc that does something before any other person, animal etc. the first to arrive.

ˈfirstly adverb

in the first place. I have three reasons for not going – firstly, it's cold, secondly, I'm tired, and thirdly, I don't want to!

first aid adjective (etc) treatment of a wounded or sick person before the doctor's arrival: We should all learn first aid; ()

first-aid treatment.

ˈfirst-born adjective, noun

(one's) oldest (child).

ˌfirst-ˈclass adjective

1. of the best quality. a first-class hotel.

2. very good. This food is first-class!

3. (for) travelling in the best and most expensive part of the train, plane, ship etc. a first-class passenger ticket; (also adverb) She always travels first-class.

ˌfirst-ˈhand adjective, adverb

(of a story, description etc) obtained directly, not through various other people. a first-hand account; I heard the story first-hand.

ˌfirst-ˈrate adjective

of the best quality. She is a first-rate architect.

at first

at the beginning. At first I didn't like him.

at first hand

obtained etc directly. I was able to acquire information at first hand.

first and foremost

first of all.

first of all

to begin with; the most important thing is. First of all, let's clear up the mess; First of all, the scheme is impossible – secondly, we can't afford it.

first

→ أَوَّل, أَوَّلاً, لِلمَرَّةِ الأُولَى nejdříve, poprvé, první først, topkarakter Erster, zuerst πρώτα, πρωτιά, πρώτος antes, en primer lugar, primero, primicia ensimmäinen, ensin premier, premièrement prvi, prvo per primo, prima, primo 最初に, 最初の, 最初のもの 맨 첫, 처음으로, 첫 번째의 eerste begynnelse, først, første pierwsze miejsce, pierwszy, po raz pierwszy primeiramente, primeiro начальный, первый, сначала först, förste, högsta betyg ครั้งแรก, ที่หนึ่ง, อย่างแรก ilk, ilkin đầu tiên, trước hết 第一, 第一的, 首先

first

adj primero; — aid primeros auxilios; adv por primera vez; When did you first feel chest pain?..¿Cuándo le dolió el pecho por primera vez?

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

"I had only made the first line when I saw you were going to ring the bell and say the time was up.

View in context

Let thy pity be a divining: to know first if thy friend wanteth pity.

View in context

The bad man, if he is being brought into a better way of life and thought, may make some advance, however slight, and if he should once improve, even ever so little, it is plain that he might change completely, or at any rate make very great progress; for a man becomes more and more easily moved to virtue, however small the improvement was at first. It is, therefore, natural to suppose that he will make yet greater progress than he has made in the past; and as this process goes on, it will change him completely and establish him in the contrary state, provided he is not hindered by lack of time.

View in context

One-fourth of the first page is taken up with the heading of the journal; this gives it a rather top-heavy appearance; the rest of the first page is reading-matter; all of the second page is reading-matter; the other six pages are devoted to advertisements.

View in context

To move down so cunningly that never a leaf stirred; to wade knee-deep in the roaring shallows that drown all noise from behind; to drink, looking backward over one shoulder, every muscle ready for the first desperate bound of keen terror; to roll on the sandy margin, and return, wet-muzzled and well plumped out, to the admiring herd, was a thing that all tall-antlered young bucks took a delight in, precisely because they knew that at any moment Bagheera or Shere Khan might leap upon them and bear them down.

View in context

His demeanor was also regulated with premeditation; he spoke little, and only on impersonal matters; he wished her to realize that in visiting him for the first time alone she was doing nothing remarkable, although, in fact, that was a point about which he was not at all sure.

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At first the princess noticed nothing but that Kitty was much under the influence of her engouement, as she called it, for Madame Stahl, and still more for Varenka.

View in context

They wanted to arrive at the truth, first, about the nature of justice and injustice, and secondly, about their relative advantages.

View in context

In May, 1881, near the close of my first year in teaching the night-school, in a way that I had not dared expect, the opportunity opened for me to begin my life-work.

View in context

This approximation grows more and more nearly exact as the difference grows less; in technical language, the laws of perspective account for the differences to the first order of small quantities, and other laws are only required to account for second-order differences.

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By the reception that the public gave to his telephone, he learned to sympathize with Howe, whose first sewing-machine was smashed by a Boston mob; with McCormick, whose first reaper was called "a cross between an Astley chariot, a wheelbarrow, and a flying- machine"; with Morse, whom ten Congresses regarded as a nuisance; with Cyrus Field, whose Atlantic Cable was denounced as "a mad freak of stubborn ignorance"; and with Westinghouse, who was called a fool for proposing "to stop a railroad train with wind."

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For these reasons Louis the Twelfth, King of France, quickly occupied Milan, and as quickly lost it; and to turn him out the first time it only needed Lodovico's own forces; because those who had opened the gates to him, finding themselves deceived in their hopes of future benefit, would not endure the ill-treatment of the new prince.