different between first vs oldest

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??st/
• (General American) enPR: f?rst, IPA^(key): /f?st/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /f?rst/, /f?rst/
• Hyphenation: first
• Rhymes: -??(?)st

Etymology 1

From Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz (“foremost, first”), superlative of Proto-Germanic *fur, *fura, *furi (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *per-, *pero- (“forward, beyond, around”), equivalent to fore +? -est. Cognate with North Frisian foarste (“first”), Dutch voorste (“foremost, first”), German Fürst (“chief, prince”, literally “first (born)”), Swedish först (“first”), Norwegian Nynorsk fyrst (“first”), Icelandic fyrstur (“first”).

Alternative forms

• 1st, Ist; I, I. (in names of monarchs and popes)
• firste (archaic)
• fyrst, fyrste (obsolete)

Adjective

first (not comparable)

1. Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.

   Hancock was first to arrive.

2. Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest.
   • 1784: William Jones, The Description and Use of a New Portable Orrery, &c., PREFACE

     THE favourable reception the Orrery has met with from Per?ons of the fir?t di?tinction, and from Gentlemen and Ladies in general, has induced me to add to it ?everal new improvements in order to give it a degree of Perfection; and di?tingui?h it from others; which by Piracy, or Imitation, may be introduced to the Public.

Related terms

• for
• fore

Translations

Adverb

first (not comparable)

1. Before anything else; firstly.
2. For the first time;

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:firstly

Translations

Noun

first (countable and uncountable, plural firsts)

1. (uncountable) The person or thing in the first position.
   • 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversations

     Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.

2. (uncountable) The first gear of an engine.
3. (countable) Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.

4. (countable, baseball) first base

5. (countable, Britain, colloquial) A first-class honours degree.
6. (countable, colloquial) A first-edition copy of some publication.
7. A fraction of an integer ending in one.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

• primary
• primus inter pares

Etymology 2

From Middle English first, furst, fyrst, from Old English fyrst, fierst, first (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”), from Proto-Germanic *frestaz, *fristiz, *frest? (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest (“period, time”), German Frist (“period, deadline, term”), Swedish frist (“deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit”), Icelandic frestur (“period”). See also frist.

Noun

first (plural firsts)

1. (obsolete) Time; time granted; respite.

References

• first at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• FTIRs, SIRTF, frist, frits, rifts

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???ld?st/
• (General American) enPR: ?ld, IPA^(key): /?o?ld?st/
• Hyphenation: old?est

Adjective

oldest

1. superlative form of old: most old

Synonyms

• oldermost (in Western dialects of the US)

Related terms

• eldest

Translations

Noun

oldest (plural oldests)

1. The oldest child in a family, or individual in a group.

Anagrams

• deslot, dotels, stoled