| first lieutenant |
a commissioned officer of the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marines, ranking below a captain and above a second lieutenant. |
| first light |
the beginning of daylight; daybreak; dawn. |
| firstling |
the first of its kind, such as the first fruits of a season. [2 definitions] |
| firstly |
to start with; first. |
| first mate |
the officer of a merchant ship second in rank to the captain; mate. |
| first mortgage |
a primary lien against a piece of property that takes precedence in case of default over all other mortgages or liens except those given priority by law, such as real estate taxes. |
| first night |
the opening performance of a play, opera, movie, or the like, or the night on which this occurs. |
| first off |
before anything else; immediately. |
| first offender |
a person convicted for the first time of an offense against the law. |
| first person |
in grammar, a category of pronouns, inflections, and the like indicating the writer or speaker of a sentence or the group of which he or she is a member. [3 definitions] |
| first quarter |
the phase of the moon's reflection of sunlight that occurs when the right half of the moon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, is radiant, about one week after the new moon. |
| first-rate |
of the highest quality or rank. [2 definitions] |
| first sergeant |
the senior noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Air Force, or Marines who is responsible for personnel and administration of a company, squadron, or other unit. |
| first strike |
a surprise offensive attack using nuclear weapons, intended to eliminate an enemy's ability to strike back. |
| first-string |
of, pertaining to, or being a principal member or members of a team. |
| first water |
the highest degree of fineness or purity in a diamond or pearl. [2 definitions] |
| firth |
in Scotland, a very long, narrow inlet of the ocean; fjord. |
| fiscal |
pertaining to public or governmental finances. [2 definitions] |
| fiscal year |
an accounting period that covers any twelve consecutive months, at the end of which the books are closed and profit or loss is determined. |
| fish |
any of various cold-blooded vertebrates that live in water, have gills, fins, and a tail, and move by swimming. [7 definitions] |
| fishable |
combined form of fish. |