first

first
ordinal number

coming before all others in time or order; earliest; 1st
首先；最早；第一
his first wife.
他的第一位妻子。
the first of five daughters.
五个女儿中的老大。
many valuable drugs have been recognized first as poisons.
许多珍贵的药物最初都被人当作毒药。
■never previously done or occurring
首次的，第一次的；史无前例的
her first day at school.
她入学的第一天。
■coming next after a specified or implied time or occurrence
（某一时间或事件后的）第一
I didn't take the first bus.
我没有乘坐首班车。
■met with or encountered before any others
第一的，首先的
the first house I came to.
我到达的第一座房子。
■before doing something else specified or implied
先，首先
Do you mind if I take a shower first?.
我先冲个澡，行吗？。
■for the first time
首次，初次；破天荒地
she first picked up a guitar out of sheer boredom.
因为百无聊赖，她破天荒地拿起了吉他。
■firstly; in the first place (used to introduce a first point or reason)
首先，第一（用来引出第一个要点或原因）
first, it is wrong that the victims should have no remedy.
首先，不救治受害人的主张是不对的。
■in preference; rather (used when strongly rejecting a suggestion or possibility)
（强烈抵制一种建议或可能性时）宁可，宁愿
she longed to go abroad, but not at this man's expense—she'd die first!.
她渴望出国，但不想用这个男人的钱——死也不想！。
■with a specified part or person in a leading position
以某一部位（或某人）在先（或为首）
it plunged nose first into the river.
它先把鼻子浸到水里。
■(informal)the first occurrence of something notable
(非正式)首次，初次
we travelled by air, a first for both of us.
我们乘飞机旅行，这对我俩都还是头一回。
■the first in a sequence of a vehicle's gears
（车辆的）头挡
he stuck the car in first and revved.
他把车挂在头挡，然后开始加速。
■(Baseball)first base
(棒球)第一垒
he made it all the way home from first.
他成功地从第一垒跑回了本垒。
■(chiefly Brit.)the first form of a school or college
(主英)（学校、学院的）一年级
■a first edition of a book
（书的）初版，头版，第一版
foremost in position, rank, or importance
首要的，最重要的，第一位的
the doctor's first duty is to respect this right.
医生的首要职责是尊重这项权力。
career women who put work first.
以事业为重的职业妇女。
football must come first.
足球必须放在首位。
■[often with infinitive]the most likely, pressing, or suitable
最有可能的；最迫切的，首要的；最合适的
his first problem is where to live.
他的首要问题是居所问题。
he is the first to admit he was not the best of patients.
他最有可能承认自己不是病人中最好的。
■the first finisher or position in a race or competition
（比赛或竞赛的）第一名；领先者
■[in titles]having precedence over all others of a similar kind
（同类中的）第一，首席
First Lord of the Admiralty.
英国海军大臣。
■(Music)performing the highest or chief of two or more parts for the same instrument or voice
(乐)第一声部的；高声部的；主要声部的
the first violins.
第一声部小提琴。
■(Brit.)a place in the top grade in an examination, especially that for a degree
(英)（尤指学位考试中的）优等；最高分；第一名
chaps with firsts from Oxbridge.
牛津和剑桥两所名校的优等生。
■(Brit.)a person having achieved such a degree
(英)优等生
■(the firsts)the best or main team of a sports club
（体育俱乐部的）甲级队；主力队
■(firsts)goods of the best quality
一等品；优等品
factory firsts, seconds, and discontinued styles.
工厂的一等品、二等品和已停产的款式。

常用词组
at first

at the beginning; in the initial stage or stages
首先；最初，开始；初期
at first Hugo tried to be patient.
开始，雨果还想耐心一点。

at first glance

见 glance

at first hand

见 first-hand

at first instance

见 instance

at first sight

见 sight

the first among equals

见 equal

first blood

见 blood

first come, first served

used to indicate that people will be dealt with strictly in the order in which they arrive or apply
先到者先受款待（表示严格按先后次序办事）
tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.
售票实行先来先售予的原则。

first and foremost

most importantly; more than anything else
最重要的是，首要的是
Delhi was first and foremost a barracks town.
德里首先是、也主要是一座军营城。

first and last

fundamentally; on the whole
根本上；总体上
museums are first and last about curatorship.
博物馆的好坏从根本而言与其管理者有关。

first of all

before doing anything else; at the beginning
首先；最初
first of all, let me ask you something.
首先，让我先问你点事情。
■most importantly
最重要的是
German unity depends first of all on the German people.
德国的统一首先靠的是德国人民。

first off

(informal, chiefly N. Amer.)as a first point; first of all
(非正式，主北美)首先
first off, I owe you a heck of an apology.
首先，我真的应该向你道个歉。

first past the post

(of a contestant, especially a horse, in a race) winning a race by being the first to reach the finishing line
（参赛者，尤指赛马）第一个到达终点
■[attrib.](Brit.)denoting an electoral system in which a candidate or party is selected by achievement of a simple majority
(英)（竞选体制）以简单多数为胜的
our first-past-the-post electoral system.
我们以简单多数为胜的竞选机制。

first thing

early in the morning; before anything else
一大早；首先
I have to meet Josh first thing tomorrow.
我明天一大早就得去接乔西。

first things first

used to assert that important matters should be dealt with before other things
要事先办，急事急办

first up

first of all
首先；首要的是
■(Austral./NZ)at the first attempt
(澳／新西兰)首次，初次

from the (very) first

from the beginning or the early stages
从一开始；最初；早就
he should have realized it from the first.
他一开始就应当意识到这一点。

from first to last

from beginning to end; throughout
从头到尾，自始至终；彻彻底底；完全；一贯
it's a fine performance that commands attention from first to last.
这是一场精彩的演出，自始至终都抓住了观众的注意力。

get to first base

见 base

in the first place

as the first consideration or point
首先
political reality was not quite that simple—in the first place, divisions existed within the parties.
政治现实远非那么简单——首先，党内存在着分歧。
■at the beginning; to begin with (especially in reference to the time when an action was being planned or discussed)
最初；起初（指行动尚在计划或讨论时）
I should have told you in the first place.
我应该一开始就告诉你。

of the first order (或 magnitude)

used to denote something that is excellent or considerable of its kind
头等的，最高等的；最重要的
it is a media event of the first order.
这是头等新闻事件。

of the first water

见 water

语源

Old English fyr(e)st; of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse fyrstr and German Fürst 'prince', from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit prathama, Latin primus, and Greek prōtos

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