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Definition of first noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

first

noun
 
 
/fɜːst/
 
/fɜːrst/
Idioms
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  1.  
    the first
    (plural the first)
    the first (to do something) the person or thing that comes or happens before all other similar people or things
    • I was the first in my family to go to college.
    • Sheila and Jim were the first to arrive.
  2. the first
     [singular] the earliest
    • The first I heard about the wedding (= the first time I became aware of it) was when I saw it in the local paper.
    • The first I knew of a problem was around 9.30 a.m. last Monday.
  3. the first
    (plural the first)
    the first to do something the most likely
    • I'd be the first to admit (= I will most willingly admit) I might be wrong.
    • The poorest will be the first to suffer.
    • Nurses are often the first to say they feel underappreciated.
  4. [countable, usually singular] first (for somebody) an important achievement, event, etc., never done or experienced before
    • We went on a cruise, a first for both of us.
    • This meeting between the two presidents is a historic first.
    Topics Successc1
  5. (also first gear)
     [uncountable] the lowest gear on a car, bicycle, etc. that you use when you are moving slowly
    • in first He stuck the car in first and revved.
    Extra Examples
    • It's very difficult to find first on this car.
    • Put the car into first and crept forward slowly.
    • She engaged first gear and pulled off.
    • As he moved into first the gear-lever knob came off in his hand.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + first
    • get into
    • move into
    • slam into
    • …
    preposition
    • in first
    See full entry
  6. [countable] first (in something) the highest level of university degree at British universities
    • She got a first in maths at Exeter.
    • He did Philosophy and English Literature and got a double first.
    compare second1, thirdTopics Educationc2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • double
    verb + first
    • be awarded
    • gain
    • get
    • …
    preposition
    • first in
    See full entry
    7. Word OriginOld English fyr(e)st; of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse fyrstr and German Fürst ‘prince’, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit prathama, Latin primus, and Greek prōtos.
Idioms
first among equals
  1. the person or thing with the highest status in a group
    • He was regarded as the ‘first among equals’ by the other office clerks.
from the (very) first
  1. from the beginning
    • They were attracted to each other from the first.
from first to last
  1. from beginning to end; during the whole time
    • It's a fine performance that commands attention from first to last.
See first in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: first

Nearby words

hopefully
adverb
 
 
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