n. 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)

n. an honours degree of the highest class

n. the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first"

n. the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving

n. 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"

adv. before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "Let's do this job first"

adv. "When Felix first saw a garter snake"

adv. "He put his best foot foremost"

adv. "First we must consider the garter snake"

adj. 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"

adj. highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn"

adj. being the gear producing the lowest drive speed; "use first gear on steep hills"

adj. serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"

adj. indicating the beginning unit in a series

adj. ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate"

adj. 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"

n. the beginning or early stages; "the onset of pneumonia"

n. the event consisting of the start of something; "the beginning of the war"

n. the normal time between successive generations; "they had to wait a generation for that prejudice to fade"

n. the human act of creating

n. an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events

n. the early stage of growth or development

n. the first light of day; "we got up before dawn"; "they talked until morning"

adj. necessary foods or commodities; "wheat is a staple crop"

adj. serving as a base or starting point; "a basic course in Russian"; "basic training for raw recruits"; "a set of basic tools"; "an introductory art course"

adj. serving as an essential component; "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"

adj. (used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held; "deep-rooted prejudice"; "deep-seated differences of opinion"; "implanted convictions"; "ingrained habits of a lifetime"; "a deeply planted need"

adj. most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"

adj. of high or superior quality or performance; "superior wisdom derived from experience"; "superior math students"

adj. having superior power and influence; "the predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism"

adj. greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement; "our greatest statesmen"; "the country's leading poet"; "a preeminent archeologist"

adj. highest in excellence or achievement; "supreme among musicians"; "a supreme endxxeavor"; "supreme courage"

adj. serving as an introduction or preface

adj. designed to orient or acquaint with a situation before proceeding; "a preliminary investigation"

adj. serving or intended to explain or make clear; "explanatory notes"; "an explanatory paragraph"

adj. preceding all others in time; "the premiere showing"

adv. of primary import; "this is primarily a question of economics"; "it was in the first place a local matter"

adv. for the most part; "he is mainly interested in butterflies"

adv. at the beginning; "at first he didn't notice anything strange"

adj. at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"

adj. relating to or located in the front; "the front lines"; "the front porch"

adj. being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of; "a truly original approach"; "with original music"; "an original mind"

adj. of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondhand; "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"

adj. having the second highest gear ratio; "second gear"

adj. 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"

adj. serving to open or begin; "began the slide show with some introductory remarks"

adj. appropriate to the beginning or start of an event; "the starting point"; "hands in the starting position"

adj. holding first place in a contest; "a champion show dog"; "a prizewinning wine"

adj. surpassing in quality; "top-grade ore"

adj. used of clothing; "my good clothes"; "her Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes"

adj. highest in quality

adj. of greatest advantage or suitability

adj. most desirable possible under a restriction expressed or implied; "an optimum return on capital"; "optimal concentration of a drug"

adj. best of its kind on record: "in record time"

adj. surpassing any previously established record; "a record-breaking high jump"; "record-breaking crowds"

adj. next to the best; "his second-best bed"

adj. (used especially of merchandise) very fine in quality; "made of superfine Flemish cloth"

adj. not capable of being improved on

adj. serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse"

adj. serving to open or begin; "began the slide show with some introductory remarks"

adj. appropriate to the beginning or start of an event; "the starting point"; "hands in the starting position"

n. time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period; "the middle of the war"; "rain during the middle of April"

n. the point in time at which something ends; "the end of the year"; "the ending of warranty period"

n. a coming to an end of a contract period; "the expiry of his driver's license"

adj. coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining; "the last time I saw Paris"; "the last day of the month"; "had the last word"; "waited until the last minute"; "he raised his voice in a last supreme call"; "the last game of the season"; "down to his last nickel"

adj. lying between two extremes in time or space or degree; "going from sitting to standing without intermediate pushes with the hands"; "intermediate stages in a process"; "intermediate stops on the route"; "an intermediate level"

adj. being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate; "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams"

adj. functioning in a subsidiary or supporting capacity; "the main library and its auxiliary branches"

adj. a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first; "second flute"; "the second violins"