Being the gear producing the lowest drive speed; "use first gear on steep hills" highest in pitch or chief among parts or voices or instruments or orchestra sections; "first soprano"; "the first violin section"; "played first horn" ranking above all others; "was first in her class"; "the foremost figure among marine artists"; "the top graduate" serving to begin; "the beginning canto of the poem"; "the first verse" serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue"; "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage" indicating the beginning unit in a series preceding all others in time or space or degree; "the first house on the right"; "the first day of spring"; "his first political race"; "her first baby"; "the first time"; "the first meetings of the new party"; "the first phase of his training" prominently forward; "he put his best foot foremost" before another in time, space, or importance; "I was here first"; "let's do this job first" the initial time; "when Felix first saw a garter snake" before anything else; "first we must consider the garter snake" the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving an honours degree of the highest class the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate) the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her" the first element in a countable series; "the first of the month" the first or highest in an ordering or series; "He wanted to be the first"
An ocean trip taken for pleasure sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing; "We were cruising in the Caribbean" look for a sexual partner in a public place; "The men were cruising the park" travel at a moderate speed; "Please keep your seat belt fastened while the plane is reaching cruising altitude" drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure; "She cruised the neighborhood in her new convertible"
(intensifier for adjectives) very; "she was ever so friendly" at all times; all the time and on every occasion; "I will always be there to help you"; "always arrives on time"; "there is always some pollution in the air"; "ever hoping to strike it rich"; "ever busy" at any time; "did you ever smoke?"; "the best con man of all time"
(physics) something joined by two equal and opposite forces that act along parallel lines two items of the same kind a pair who associate with one another; "the engaged couple"; "an inseparable twosome" a pair of people who live together; "a married couple from Chicago" a small indefinite number; "he's coming for a couple of days" make love; "Birds mate in the Spring" form a pair or pairs; "The two old friends paired off" link together; "can we couple these proposals?" bring two objects, ideas, or people together; "This fact is coupled to the other one"; "Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?"; "The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project"
A traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc. a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere" a festival marked by merrymaking and processions
An ocean trip taken for pleasure sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing; "We were cruising in the Caribbean" look for a sexual partner in a public place; "The men were cruising the park" travel at a moderate speed; "Please keep your seat belt fastened while the plane is reaching cruising altitude" drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure; "She cruised the neighborhood in her new convertible"
Mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it a conceptual separation or distinction; "there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity" a short personal letter; "drop me a line when you get there" a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence; "she was humming an air from Beethoven" the maximum credit that a customer is allowed space for one line of print (one column wide and 1/14 inch deep) used to measure advertising a commercial organization serving as a common carrier a particular kind of product or merchandise; "a nice line of shoes" (often plural) a means of communication or access; "it must go through official channels"; "lines of communication were set up between the two firms" in games or sports; a mark indicating positions or bounds of the playing area the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money; "he's not in my line of business" something (as a cord or rope) that is long and thin and flexible; "a washing line" the descendants of one individual; "his entire lineage has been warriors" acting in conformity; "in line with"; "he got out of line"; "toe the line" a telephone connection the road consisting of railroad track and roadbed a pipe used to transport liquids or gases; "a pipeline runs from the wells to the seaport" a slight depression in the smoothness of a surface; "his face has many lines"; "ironing gets rid of most wrinkles" a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent a connected series of events or actions or developments; "the government took a firm course"; "historians can only point out those lines for which evidence is available" a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power the methodical process of logical reasoning; "I can't follow your line of reasoning" a fortified position (especially one marking the most forward position of troops); "they attacked the enemy's line" a single frequency (or very narrow band) of radiation in a spectrum text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen; "the letter consisted of three short lines"; "there are six lines in every stanza" a length (straight or curved) without breadth or thickness; the trace of a moving point a formation of people or things one behind another; "the line stretched clear around the corner"; "you must wait in a long line at the checkout counter" a mark that is long relative to its width; "He drew a line on the chart" a formation of people or things one beside another; "the line of soldiers advanced with their bayonets fixed"; "they were arrayed in line of battle"; "the cast stood in line for the curtain call" reinforce with fabric; "lined books are more enduring" fill plentifully; "line one's pockets" mark with lines; "sorrow had lined his face" make a mark or lines on a surface; "draw a line"; "trace the outline of a figure in the sand" cover the interior of; "line the gloves"; "line a chimney" be in line with; form a line along; "trees line the riverbank"