Word Meanings - FIRST - Book Publishers vocabulary database

Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form 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. 2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of,

Additional info about word: FIRST

Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form 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. 2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others. 3. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece. At first blush. See under Blush. -- At first hand, from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent. It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by way of mouth, to yourself. Dickens. -- First coat , 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. The ground floor. The floor next above the ground floor. -- First fruit or fruits. The fruits of the season earliest gathered. One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who held directly from him. The first year's whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living. The earliest effects or results. 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 , in the merchant service, same as First mate . -- First sergeant , the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. -- First watch , 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.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of FIRST)

• plain
• Bulk
• majority
• body
• principal
• trunk
• chief
• leading
• most important
• first
• Original
• Primary
• initiatory
• primordial
• peculiar
• pristine
• ancient
• former
• Principal
• Highest
• main
• primary
• foremost
• pre-eminent
• prominent

Related words: (words related to FIRST)

• PRINCIPALNESS
  The quality of being principal.
• PECULIARIZE
  To make peculiar; to set appart or assign, as an exclusive possession. Dr. John Smith.
• CHIEFLESS
  Without a chief or leader.
• FOREMOST
  First in time or place; most advanced; chief in rank or dignity; as, the foremost troops of an army. THat struck the foremost man of all this world. Shak. (more info) superl. of forma first, which is a superl. fr. fore fore; cf. Goth. frumist,
• TRUNKED
  Having a trunk. Thickset with strong and well-trunked trees. Howell.
• PRIMORDIALLY
  At the beginning; under the first order of things; originally.
• PRINCIPALITY
  preëminence, excellence: cf. F. principalité, principauté. See 1. Sovereignty; supreme power; hence, superiority; predominance; high, or the highest, station. Sir P. Sidney. Your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
• LEADING EDGE
  same as Advancing edge, above.
• FIRST
  Sw. & Dan. förste, OHG. furist, G. fürst prince; a superlatiye form 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. 2. Foremost; in front of, or in advance of,
• PLAINTIVE
  1. Repining; complaining; lamenting. Dryden. 2. Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad. "The most plaintive ditty." Landor. -- Plain"tive*ly, adv. -- Plain"tive*ness, n.
• TRUNKFUL
  As much as a trunk will hold; enough to fill a trunk.
• FORMERLY
  In time past, either in time immediately preceding or at any indefinite distance; of old; heretofore.
• TRUNK PISTON
  In a single-acting engine, an elongated hollow piston, open at the end, in which the end of the connecting rod is pivoted. The piston rod, crosshead and stuffing box are thus dispensed with.
• PECULIARNESS
  The quality or state of being peculiar; peculiarity. Mede.
• CHIEFEST
  First or foremost; chief; principal. "Our chiefest courtier." Shak. The chiefest among ten thousand. Canticles v. 10.
• PLAINTIFF
  One who commences a personal action or suit to obtain a remedy for an injury to his rights; -- opposed to Ant: defendant. (more info) French equiv. to plaignant complainant, prosecutor, fr. plaindre. See
• IMPORTANTLY
  In an important manner.
• PLAINT
  A private memorial tendered to a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action; the exhibiting of an action in writing. Blackstone. (more info) planctum , to beat, beat the breast, lament. Cf. 1. Audible expression of sorrow;
• PLAINLY
  In a plain manner; clearly.
• LEADED
  Separated by leads, as the lines of a page. (more info) 1. Fitted with lead; set in lead; as, leaded windows.
• DEFORMER
  One who deforms.
• STERNFOREMOST
  With the stern, instead of the bow, in advance; hence, figuratively, in an awkward, blundering manner. A fatal genius for going sternforemost. Lowell.
• POT LEAD
  Graphite, or black lead, often used on the bottoms of racing vessels to diminish friction.
• ABORIGINALLY
  Primarily.
• COUNTERPLEAD
  To plead the contrary of; to plead against; to deny.
• KERCHIEF
  couvrechef, F. couvrechef, a head covering, fr. couvrir to cover + 1. A square of fine linen worn by women as a covering for the head; hence, anything similar in form or material, worn for ornament on other parts of the person; -- mostly used in
• PLEADINGS
  The mutual pleas and replies of the plaintiff and defendant, or written statements of the parties in support of their claims, proceeding from the declaration of the plaintiff, until issue is joined, and the question made to rest on some
• RINGLEADER
  1. The leader of a circle of dancers; hence, the leader of a number of persons acting together; the leader of a herd of animals. A primacy of order, such an one as the ringleader hath in a dance. Barrow. 2. Opprobriously, a leader of a body of