(Eng. Universities) (a) A degree of the first class both in classics and mathematics. (b) One who gains at examinations the highest honor both in the classics and the mathematics. Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] 1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece. [ 1913 Webster ]

At first blush. See under Blush. --
At first hand, from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent. [ 1913 Webster ] It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by way of mouth, to yourself. Dickens. --
First coat (Plastering), the solid foundation of coarse stuff, on which the rest is placed; it is thick, and crossed with lines, so as to give a bond for the next coat. --
First day, Sunday; -- so called by the Friends. --
First floor. (a) The ground floor. [ U.S. ] (b) The floor next above the ground floor. [ Eng. ] --
First fruit or
First fruits. (a) The fruits of the season earliest gathered. (b) (Feudal Law) One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who held directly from him. (c) (Eng. Eccl. Law) The first year's whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living. (d) The earliest effects or results. [ 1913 Webster ] See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung
From thy implanted grace in man! Milton. --
First mate, an officer in a merchant vessel next in rank to the captain. --
First name, same as Christian name. See under Name, n. --
First officer (Naut.), in the merchant service, same as First mate (above). --
First sergeant (Mil.), the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. --
First watch (Naut.), the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time. --
First water, the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and pearls.

Syn. -- Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest; chief; principal; foremost. [ 1913 Webster ]

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, at the beginning or origin. --
First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end. [ 1913 Webster ]

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; as, the firstborn child.
Syn. -- eldest. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The first child born to a parent; as, his firstborn was showered with gifts from relatives.
Syn. -- eldest. [ PJC ]

a. Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first-rate; as, a first-class telescope. [ 1913 Webster ]

First-class car or
First-class railway carriage, any passenger car of the highest regular class, and intended for passengers who pay the highest regular rate; -- distinguished from a second-class car. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. distributed in order to those who request it in person; not subject to reservation for later delivery. Contrasted with reservable. [ predicate ]
Syn. -- rush. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Obtained directly from the first or original source; hence, without the intervention of an agent; -- of information; as, a firsthand report; firsthand information; firsthand knowledge.
Syn. -- direct, original. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] 1. The first produce or offspring; -- said of animals, especially domestic animals; as, the firstlings of his flock. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The thing first thought or done. [ 1913 Webster ]

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: dA/dt = -kt where dA/dt is the rate per unit time at which the quantity (or concentration) of material (expressed as A) is increasing, t is the time, and k is a constant. The minus sign in front of the "kt" assures that the amount of material remaining will be decreasing as time progresses. A solution of the differential equation to give the quantity A shows that: A = e-kt where e is the base for natural logarithms. Thus this type of decay is called exponential decay. In certain chemical reactions that are in fact second-order, involving two reactants, the conditions may be chosen in some cases so that one reactant is vastly in excess of the other, and its concentration changes very little in the course of the reaction, so that the reaction rate will be approximately first order in the more dilute reactant; such reactions are called pseudo first order. [ PJC ]

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. 1. of the highest quality; as, a first-rate reporter.
Syn. -- ace, A-one, first-class, super, tip-top, topnotch, tops(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

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.
Syn. -- freshman. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } adv. With the head foremost; -- of motion. [ 1913 Webster ]