[furst] 
| 1. | 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. |
| 2. | Music. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: first alto; first horn. |
| 3. | Automotive. low (def. 31). |
| 4. | (often initial capital letter ) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the U.S. or of the governor of a state: the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog. |
| 5. | before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc. |
| 6. | before some other thing, event, etc.: If you're going, phone first. |
| 7. | for the first time: She first visited Atlanta in 1980. |
| 8. | in preference to something else; rather; sooner: I'd die first. |
| 9. | in the first place; firstly. |
| 10. | the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc. |
| 11. | the beginning. |
| 12. | the first part; first member of a series. |
| 13. | Music.
|
| 14. | Automotive. low gear; first gear: She shifted into first and drove off. |
| 15. | the winning position or rank in a race or other competition. |
| 16. | Baseball. first base. |
| 17. | Usually, firsts. Commerce.
|
| 18. | British University.
|
| 19. | first and last, everything considered; above all else; altogether: First and last, it is important to know oneself. |
| 20. | first off, Informal. at the outset; immediately: He wanted to know first off why he hadn't been notified. |
| 21. | first thing, before anything else; at once; promptly: I'll call you first thing when I arrive. |
first (fûrst)
adj.
Coming before all others in order or location.
Occurring or acting before all others in time; earliest.
Being the innermost digit, especially on a foot.
first and last
Under all circumstances, always, as in She was an artist first and last. (For a synonym, see above all.) This expression, first recorded in 1589, should not be confused with the similar-sounding from first to last, which means "from start to finish" or "throughout," as in We cheered them on from first to last.