first
    adv 1: before anything else; "first we must consider the garter
           snake" [syn: first, firstly, foremost, first of
           all, first off]
    2: the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake" [syn:
       first, for the first time]
    3: before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here
       first"; "let's do this job first"
    4: prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost" [syn:
       foremost, first]
    adj 1: 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" [ant: last]
    2: indicating the beginning unit in a series [syn: first,
       1st]
    3: serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue";
       "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory
       step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in
       Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage" [syn: inaugural,
       initiative, initiatory, first, maiden]
    4: serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the
       first verse" [syn: beginning(a), first]
    5: ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the
       foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"
       [syn: first, foremost, world-class]
    6: highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or
       instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the
       first violin section"; "played first horn" [ant: second]
    n 1: the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted
         to be the first" [syn: first, number one]
    2: the first element in a countable series; "the first of the
       month" [syn: first, number one, number 1]
    3: 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, commencement, first,
       outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time,
       showtime, offset] [ant: end, ending, middle]
    4: 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,
       first]
    5: an honours degree of the highest class [syn: first, first-
       class honours degree]
    6: the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor
       vehicle; used to start a car moving [syn: first gear,
       first, low gear, low]

First \First\ (f[~e]rst), a. [OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin
   to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. & Dan. f["o]rste, OHG. furist, G.
   f["u]rst 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]

First \First\ (f[~e]rst), 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]

First \First\, 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 pre["e]minence in the combined effect.
   [1913 Webster]

FIRST
       ForschungsInstitut fuer Rechnerarchitektur und SoftwareTechnik
(org., GMD, Berlin, Germany)
       

FIRST
       Forum of Incident Response and SecuriTy (org., NIST)