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6.13
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first number [ fəːst ]

• coming before all others in time or order; earliest; 1st.
• "his first wife"
Similar: earliest, initial, opening, introductory, original, fundamental, basic, rudimentary, primary, beginning, elemental, underlying, basal, foundation, key, cardinal, central, chief, vital, essential,
Opposite: last, closing, developed,
• foremost in position, rank, or importance.
• "the doctor's first duty is to respect this right"
Similar: foremost, principal, highest, greatest, paramount, top, topmost, utmost, uppermost, prime, chief, leading, main, major, pre-eminent, overriding, outstanding, supreme, premier, predominant, prevailing, most important, of greatest importance, of prime importance, vital, key, essential, crucial, central, core, focal, pivotal, dominant, ruling, head, number-one, best, superlative, winner's, winning, champion,
Opposite: last,
• with a specified part or person in a leading position.
• "the car plunged nose first into the river"
Origin: 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 .

at first

• at the beginning; in the initial stage or stages.
"at first Hugo tried to be patient"

first come, first served

• used to indicate that people will be dealt with strictly in the order in which they arrive or apply.
"tickets are available on a first come, first served basis"

first and foremost

• most importantly; more than anything else.
"he considered himself first and foremost a writer"

first and last

• fundamentally; on the whole.
"museums are first and last about curatorship"

first of all

• before doing anything else.
"first of all, let me ask you something"

first off

• as a first point; firstly.
"first off, I owe you a heck of an apology"

first past the post

• (of a contestant, especially a horse) winning a race by being the first to reach the finishing line.
"Aliysa was first past the post in the 1989 Oaks"

first thing

• early in the morning; before anything else.
"I have to meet Josh first thing tomorrow"

first things first

• important matters should be dealt with before other things.
"I suggest we get our priorities right—first things first"

first up

• first of all.

from the first

• from the beginning.
"he should have realized it from the first"

from first to last

• from beginning to end; throughout.
"it's a fine performance that commands attention from first to last"

in the first place

• as the first consideration or point.
"political reality was not quite that simple—in the first place, divisions existed within the parties"

of the first order

• excellent or considerable of its kind.
"it is a media event of the first order"

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