being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc., used as the ordinal number of one: the first edition; the first vice president.
2.
Music. highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class: first alto; first horn.
(often initial capital letter) being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the U.S. or of the governor of a state: the First Lady; Checkers, the first dog.
–adverb
5.
before all others or anything else in time, order, rank, etc.
6.
before some other thing, event, etc.: If you're going, phone first.
7.
for the first time: She first visited Atlanta in 1980.
8.
in preference to something else; rather; sooner: I'd die first.
9.
in the first place; firstly.
–noun
10.
the person or thing that is first in time, order, rank, etc.
11.
the beginning.
12.
the first part; first member of a series.
13.
Music.
a.
the voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, esp. in an orchestra or chorus.
b.
a leader of a part or group of performers.
14.
Automotive. low gear; first gear: She shifted into first and drove off.
15.
the winning position or rank in a race or other competition.
Canada First movement, party that appeared in Canada soon after confederation (1867). Its purpose was to encourage the growth of nonpartisan loyalty to the new dominion of Canada. In Toronto, in 1874, it founded the Nation and the National Club and entered the political field as the Canadian National Association, which encouraged immigration and native industry, and a more independent stance for Canada. Although its official career was short-lived, the party's ideals were expressed by Canadian writers and were absorbed by the older political parties. In this way the movement had an effect on the development of Canadian nationalism.
See W. S. Wallace, The Growth of Canadian National Feeling (1927).
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