firsts

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of first.

   She racked up a string of firsts during her years at university.

   The bakery sells its firsts at full price and offers the flawed loaves at a discount.

   Note

   Only the countable meanings of first take a plural, so first place and first gear rarely show up in this form. What remains is a varied set. A string of firsts may be new achievements that have never happened before. It may also be first-edition copies of a publication, or, in casual British use, first-class honors degrees. Context usually tells you which one is meant.

2. 2
   verbrare

   Third-person singular simple present of first. Rare.

   Note

   The verb behind this form is rare and belongs to meetings. To first a motion is to propose it, after which someone else must second it. So when a member firsts a motion, a seconder is expected to follow. The everyday first of a list or a morning routine is the adjective or the adverb, and neither of those ever takes an -s.

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