firstˈ-born adjective

Born first

noun

1. The first in order of birth
2. The eldest child

firstˈ-classˈ adjective

Of the first class, rank or quality

adverb

By first-class mail, transport, etc

first-class mail or first-class post noun

Mail sent at a dearer rate to obtain quicker delivery

firstˈ-day noun (obsolete)

Sunday

first-day cover noun

An envelope with stamps postmarked on their first day of issue

first degree burn, first degree murder see under degree

first finger noun

The finger next to the thumb

first fix noun (building)

The part of joinery, plumbing or electrical work that must be done as soon as the framework of a building is complete (cf second fix)

first floor see under floor

firstˈ-footˈ noun (Scot)

The first person to enter a house after the beginning of the new year

transitive verb

To visit as first-foot

intransitive verb

To go around making visits as first-foot

firstˈ-footˈer noun

firstˈ-footˈing noun

firstˈ-fruitˈ or first-fruitsˈ noun

1. The fruits first gathered in a season
2. First products or effects of anything
3. Payment in the form of first crops of a season, or annates, to a superior

first gear see under gear

first generation adjective (computing)

Of the early type of calculating and computing machine, using thermionic valves

firstˈ-hand adjective

Obtained directly, or in order to obtain (information, etc) directly, without an intermediary

first-handˈ adverb

first lady noun

1. The wife of the chief executive of a city, state or country, esp of the president of the USA, or any woman chosen by him to carry out official duties as hostess, etc (US; often with caps)
2. A prominent or leading woman in any field, profession, etc

first lieutenant noun

1. (in the Royal Navy) the executive officer, not necessarily a lieutenant, of a ship or naval establishment
2. (in the US Army, Air Force and Marine Corps) an officer next below a captain

first light noun

The time when daylight first appears in the morning

First Minister noun

The title given to the leader of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

first name noun

A person's Christian name, or the name that comes first in a full name

first night noun

The first public performance of a theatrical production

first-nightˈer noun

A person who habitually goes to the theatre on first nights

first offender noun

A person convicted for the first time

firstˈ-pastˈ-the-postˈ adjective

Denoting or relating to a system of voting in which each voter casts only one non-transferable vote, the candidate receiving the most votes being declared the winner

first person noun (grammar)

The writer or speaker

firstˈ-person adjective

first post noun (military)

The first of two bugle calls denoting the time for retiring for the night (cf last post under last¹)

firstˈ-rate adjective

1. Of highest rank or excellence
2. Pre-eminent in quality, size or estimation

noun

A warship so rated

first-rateˈ adverb

Excellently

first refusal noun

The chance to buy (esp property) before it is offered to others

first school noun

A school for children aged five to eight, nine or ten

first strike noun

A pre-emptive attack on an enemy, intended to destroy their nuclear weapons before they can be brought into use

firstˈ-strike adjective

firstˈ-time adjective

1. Immediate
2. Carrying out an action, eg the purchase of a house, for the first time

first water noun

The first or highest quality, or purest lustre, of diamonds and pearls (also figurative)

First World noun

The richest and most technologically developed countries of the world

first year allowance noun

An amount of capital expenditure which can be set against tax in the accounts relating to the actual year of spending

at first

At the beginning, in the early stages, etc

first cab off the rank (informal)

The first choice, the first to do something

first in, first out (computing)

Denoting a list for which insertions are made at one end and deletions at the other

first thing

Before doing anything else

not know the first thing about

To know nothing about