the first person to enter a household in the New Year. By Hogmanay tradition a dark-haired man who crosses the threshold at midnight brings good luck
verb
2.
to enter (a house) as first-foot
Derived forms
first-footing (ˈfirst-ˈfooting)
noun
first-foot in American English
(ˈfɜːrstˈfut)
Scot
noun Also: first-footer
1.
the first person to cross the threshold of a house on New Year's Day
2.
the first person met after starting out on the day of an important occasion
transitive verb
3.
to enter (a house) first on New Year's Day
intransitive verb
4.
to be the first to enter a house on New Year's Day
Word origin
[1880–85]This word is first recorded in the period 1880–85. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Chief of Staff, barnstorm, interface, irredentist, regionalism