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'

highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; first soprano; the first violin section; played first horn'

the first or highest in an ordering or series; He wanted to be the first

[ Syn: number one ]

the first element in a countable series; the first of the month

[ Syn: number one , number 1 ]

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

[ Syn: beginning , beginning , commencement , commencement , outset , outset , get-go , get-go , start , start , kickoff , kickoff , starting time , starting time , showtime , showtime , offset , offset ]

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)

[ Syn: first base ]

an honours degree of the highest class

[ Syn: first-class honours degree ]

the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving

[ Syn: first gear , low gear , low ]

before anything else; first we must consider the garter snake

[ Syn: firstly , firstly , foremost , foremost , first of all , first of all , first off , first off , firstly , firstly , foremost , foremost , first of all , first of all , first off , first off , firstly , firstly , foremost , foremost , first of all , first of all , first off , first off , firstly , firstly , foremost , foremost , first of all , first of all , first off , first off ]

the initial time; when Felix first saw a garter snake

[ Syn: for the first time , for the first time , for the first time , for the first time , for the first time , for the first time , for the first time , for the first time ]

before another in time, space, or importance; I was here first; let's do this job first'

prominently forward; he put his best foot foremost

[ Syn: foremost , foremost , foremost , foremost , foremost , foremost , foremost , foremost ]

indicating the beginning unit in a series

[ Syn: 1st ]

serving to set in motion; the magazines inaugural issue; the initiative phase in the negotiations; an initiatory step toward a treaty; his first (or maiden) speech in Congress; the liners maiden voyage

[ Syn: inaugural , initiative , initiatory , maiden ]

serving to begin; the beginning canto of the poem; the first verse

[ Syn: beginning ]

ranking above all others; was first in her class; the foremost figure among marine artists; the top graduate

[ Syn: foremost , world-class ]