Word of the Day: First
first
first / fûrst
adjective
1. corresponding to the number one in a series
Please help us find an inspiring sample sentence for this meaning of first.
2. earliest; coming or occurring before others
When you have read a book for the first time, you get to know a friend; read it for a second time and you meet an old friend.
Chinese Proverb
3. in a location or ranking that comes before others
Man’s first duty is to himself.
Ayn Rand, 1905 – 1982
4. of the highest or most important ranking
When you keep God in first place, He will take you to places you’ve never dreamed of.
Joel Osteen, 1963 –
5. in music, having the most important or principal part or having the highest pitch
The first chair violinist of an orchestra—known as the concertmaster—is a vital musical leader with widely ranging responsibilities, from tuning the orchestra to working closely with the conductor.
“Concertmaster”, www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/concertmasterconcertmistress, accessed October 22, 2021
6. having the lowest gear ratio
Slowly increase the pressure on the gas pedal while continuing to let up on the clutch – the car is now moving forward in first gear, with you in control.
“How to Drive a Manual Transmission”, www.resource-center.meineke.com/drive-manual-transmission, September 1, 2017
7. pertaining to one who Is a member of a US president’s household
The first lady is, and always has been, an unpaid public servant elected by one person, her husband.
Lady Bird Johnson, 1912 – 2007
adverb
1. before all else in time, rank, importance, etc.
What first appears as a calamity may later bring good fortune.
Chinese Proverb
2. from the earliest time
See the world as if for the first time; see it through the eyes of a child, and you will suddenly find that you are free.
Deepak Chopra, 1947 –
3. before something else; preferably
I find it startling to hear myself say that I am prepared to die first rather than succumb to their oppressive torture and I know that I am not on my own, that many of my comrades hold the same.
Bobby Sands, 1954 – 1981
4. to begin with
Wine is a turncoat, first a friend, then an enemy.
Romanian Proverb
noun
1. the ordinal number that corresponds to the number one in a series
Three silences there are: the first of speech, the second of desire, the third of thought.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807 – 1882
2. the one coming before or ranking above the others
Be the first to the field and the last to the couch.
Chinese Proverb
3. the beginning; the start
If at first you don’t succeed, try hard work.
William Feather, 1889 – 1981
4. in music, the highest pitched instrument or voice, or the one with the chief part, in its class
Please help us find an inspiring sample sentence for this meaning of first.
5. the lowest gear in an auto
Once you get the car moving, it is easier to change gears, but starting in first can be a bit tricky.
“How to Drive a Stick Shift Car [Beginner’s Guide]”, www. freedomgeneral.com/blog/how-to-drive-a-stick-shift-car-beginners-guide, October 22, 2019
6. the winning position in a race or similar contest
Winning does not always mean coming in first…real victory is in arriving at the finish line with no regrets because you know you’ve gone all out.
Apolo Ohno, 1982 –
7. in baseball, the initial base that a batter runs to after hitting a ball
Virginia closed out the inning quickly with the first baseman Nemanich fielding the ball to Carlson, who ran to first and tapped the bag for the third out, ending the threat.
Ben Romsaas, “Virginia Legion beats Barnum 14-0”, ‘Mesabi Tribune’, July 17, 2021
etymology
From the Anglo-Saxon adjective fyrst (foremost, chief, principal).
Thank you to Allen Ward for providing this etymology.
