first

As an acronym - FIRST
For Insipiration and Recognizition of Science and Technology.
Maybe it's a bit cheesy, but it's a nice organization.
They run the annual FIRST robotics competition, where high schools team up with universities and businesses to create, in six weeks, a robot to compete in a yearly-changing game of some sort.

The organization supplies a large set of parts (all of the needed control system electronics, motors, some odd parts) but large amounts of design, wood, metal, and who knows what else is needed to finish the robots, which are roughly 4 x 4 x 4 ft, and weigh up to 130 pounds.

Six weeks isn't a lot of time; during the construction time, my teammates and I spent about 50 hours a week on this, in addition to regular classes and schoolwork. Needless to say, we lost some sleep.

It's a wonderful learning experience; we had find sponsors, get money (budget ~$20,000), get engineers to help us, design, prototype, and build. Lots of work, but hands-on, creative, and very cool.

First

Once pushed through the slick
opening of mother to suck
cold hospital breath,
pencil boxes
and the smell of crayons should be easy.
After
opening scabby knees on sidewalks,
ripping limbs on tree bark
then
novels about reckless women opening their thighs,
paperback caricatures,
I will be opening
windows to climb through.

But what can prepare me:
your mouth opening against me,
myself, like gills of a fish
to breathe you,
you, opening further
the balled fist of me
petal by petal,
like opening a tin can,
a grapefruit,
a paper fan.

No closing
after this. No push back to tree house,
paint-by-numbers,
mother.
Unclosing, this is my own.

Melissa Williams

First (?), a. [OE. first, furst, AS. fyrst; akin to Icel. fyrstr, Sw. & Dan. forste, OHG. furist, G. furst prince; a superlatiye form of E. for, fore. See For, Fore, and cf. Formeer, Foremost.]

1.

Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest; as, the first day of a month; the first year of a reign.

2.

Foremost; in front of, or in advance of, all others.

3.

Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest; as, Demosthenes was the first orator of Greece.

At first blush. See under Blush. -- At first hand, from the first or original source; without the intervention of any agent.

It is the intention of the person to reveal it at first hand, by way of mouth, to yourself. Dickens.

-- First coat Plastering, the solid foundation of coarse stuff, on which the rest is placed; it is thick, and crossed with lines, so as to give a bond for the next coat. -- First day, Sunday; -- so called by the Friends. -- First floor. (a) The ground floor. [U.S.] (b) The floor next above the ground floor. [Eng.] -- First fruit ∨ fruits. (a) The fruits of the season earliest gathered. (b) FeudalLaw One year's profits of lands belonging to the king on the death of a tenant who held directly from him. (c) Eng. Eccl.Law The first year's whole profits of a benefice or spiritual living. (d) The earliest effects or results.

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in man! Milton.

-- First mate, an officer in a merchant vessel next in rank to the captain. -- First name, same as Christian name. See under Name, n. -- First officer Naut., in the merchant service, same as First mate (above). -- First sergeant Mil., the ranking non-commissioned officer in a company; the orderly sergeant. Farrow. -- First watch Naut., the watch from eight to twelve at midnight; also, the men on duty during that time. -- First water, the highest quality or purest luster; -- said of gems, especially of diamond and pearls.

Syn. -- Primary; primordial; primitive; primeval; pristine; highest; chief; principal; foremost.

 

© Webster 1913.

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First (?), adv.

Before any other person or thing in time, space, rank, etc.; -- much used in composition with adjectives and participles.

Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Tim. ii. 13.

At first, At the first, at the beginning or origin. -- First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end.

And all are fools and lovers first or last. Dryden.

 

© Webster 1913.

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First, n. Mus.

The upper part of a duet, trio, etc., either vocal or instrumental; -- so called because it generally expresses the air, and has a preeminence in the combined effect.

 

© Webster 1913.