being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president.
highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: first alto; first horn.
low (def. 31).
before anything else; at once; promptly: I'll call you first thing when I arrive.
—adv.
before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.
before some other thing, event, etc.: If you're going, phone first.
for the first time: She first visited Atlanta in 1980.
in preference to something else; rather; sooner: I'd die first.
in the first place; firstly.
everything considered; above all else; altogether: First and last, it is important to know oneself.
at the outset; immediately: He wanted to know first off why he hadn't been notified.
—n.
the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.
the beginning.
the first part; first member of a series.
the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, esp. in an orchestra or chorus.
a leader of a part or group of performers.
low gear; first gear: She shifted into first and drove off.
the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.
See
Usually,
a product or goods of the first or highest quality.
goods produced according to specifications, without visible flaws. Cf. second1 (def. 23),third(def. 12).