foremost, a. and adv.
(ˈfɔəməʊst, -məst)
Forms: 1 formest, fyrmest, (firmest), 2–7 formest, 3 south. vormest, (4 furmest, 5 for-, foremest(e, 6 formes), 3–4 firmest, 3–7 formast, (4 formaste), 6–7 formost(e, 6– foremost. See also forthmost.
[OE. formest, fyrmest: = OFris. formest, Goth. frumist-s, f. OTeut. *formo- (forme a.) with additional superlative suffix (see -est). Afterwards written so as to suggest a derivation from fore a. + most adv.]
A. adj.
† 1. In regard to time: Prior to all others in occurrence, existence, etc.; = first A. 1. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1525 (Cott.) Noema was þe formest webster þat man findes o þat mister. Ibid. 1051 Þe formast barn þat sco him bare was caim. 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 195 To repayre thoffence of our formest fader adam. 1587 Golding De Mornay v. 56 If they could haue had any beginning, the Sonne had bin formost in that case. |
† b. absol. or
ellipt. Also in
advb. phrase
at the foremost.
Obs.| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 219 Þe laste man isib þe formeste, þe was biforn us. 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 4 Atte firmast to-fore þe day of þe a compte of þe maistres. a 1400 Hymn Virg. 8 in Min. Poems Vern. MS. (E.E.T.S.) 134 Heil logge that vr lord in lay, The formast that never was founden in fable. |
† c. After the name of a day of the week: Next following;
= first 1 h.
Obs.| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 308 Þe Wednesday formest þe Kyng had fulle grete hy. |
† 2. First in serial order;
= first A. 2.
Obs.| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 274 Feower heafod windas synd, se fyrmesta is easterne wind. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 17 Þe formeste word of þe salme. a 1225 Ancr. R. 18 Sigge ðe vormeste viue, ‘Adoramus te, Christe,’ fif siðen kneolinde. a 1300 Cursor M. 26877 (Cott.) Þe quilk I talde þe of resun in þe neist formast questiun. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 494 Monyth þe fyrst þat fallez formast in þe ȝer. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 288 Is not the morne ȝule day, formest of the ȝeir? 1542 Recorde Gr. Artes 135 b, The bowynge of the foremost fynger, and settynge the ende of the thombe between the 2 foremost or hyghest ioyntes of it. |
† b. absol. or
ellipt. Also in
advb. phrases,
a formest,
an alre formest.
Obs.| a 1225 Ancr. R. 116 As we seiden þer uppe a vormest. Ibid. 180 Understondeð þeonne an alre uormest. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iii. x. (1495) 55 The formest hyghte Ymaginatiua, the mydle Logica, the thyrde memoratiua. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 126 Gif he fallis, the latter pairt is warst nor y⊇ formest. 1709 Addison Tatler No. 24 ¶13 The Foremost of the whole Rank of Toasts..are Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Frontlet. |
3. Most forward or advanced in position; front:
= first A. 3.
† Also in agreement with
n. to indicate the front part or front of. (
Cf. L.
summus mons, etc.)
| c 1205 Lay. 23801 A þen feoremeste flocke feouwerti hundred. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2324 Þe prouost wiþ al þe puple presed forþ formast. a 1400 Octouian 1106 An ax..That heng on hys formest arsoun. c 1450 Merlin 46 He wolde come..formeste of his company. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xiii. 126 b, The whole skinne of a great Lion, fastened with the two formost feet before upon the brest. 1658 A. Fox Wurtz' Surg. ii. xxv. 152 The foremost part of the Arms bones are broken. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 28 Who here Will envy whom the highest place exposes Formost to stand against the Thunderers aime Your bulwark? 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xiii, The giant..was foremost now; but the Dwarf was not far behind. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. II. xxvi. 41 The king himself fought and fell in the foremost ranks of the battle. 1875 W. S. Hayward Love agst. World 14 The foremost hounds are close on him. |
b. absol. or
ellipt. Also in
advb. phrase,
† a formest.
| c 1205 Lay. 24611 Bedeuer a uormest eode mid guldene bolle. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. xii. 41 So the furmest hevede y-don, ase the erst undertoc. c 1400 Song Roland 807 We haue the formest feld to the ground. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon vi. 137 Reynawde wente out of Bordews, the formest of all his folke. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 67 Good will settyng me forthe with the foremost: I can not chuse but write. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 175 Those [dogs] which are young, fierce, and unaccustomed to the chace, are generally the foremost. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xxxiv, The Smith of the Wynd..had been the foremost in the crowd that thronged to see the gallant champions of Clan Quhele. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton xxiii, She was determined to march with the foremost. |
c. in
proverb denoting continuous action.
| 1606 Sir G. Goosecappe iii. i. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 44 Never stir if he fought not with great Seckerson four hours to one, foremost take up hindmost. |
d. In adverbial phrases
head, end, stern, etc. foremost,
i.e. with the head, etc. first or in front.
| 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. iii. 49 It flys down head foremost. 1842 C. Whitehead R. Savage (1845) iii. ix. 420 Wigs..wrong-side foremost. 1856 Ferrier Inst. Metaph. Introd. 46 This is a science which naturally comes to us end foremost. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. i, The boat drove stern foremost before it [the tide]. |
4. Most notable or prominent, best, chief. Also more emphatically
first and foremost:
= first A. 4.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xx. 27 Seþe wyle betweox eow beon fyrmest sy he eower þeow. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour E j, And suche one is that weneth to be first and formest that often fyndeth her the last of all. 1546 Bp. Gardiner Declar. Art. Joye 72 b, Christ in his speach trulye affirmed his choise, which was chief, principall, and formest. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 40 Men ever famous, and formost in the achievements of liberty. 1791 Cowper Iliad i. 83 Calchas, an augur foremost in his art. 1851 Dixon W. Penn xvi. (1872) 137 Foremost of these sufferers were the Quakers. |
| absol. or ellipt. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xix. 20 Soðlice maneᵹa fyrmeste beoð ytemeste; & ytemeste fyrmesta. c 1400 Destr. Troy 278 Hit was þe formast on flete þat on flode past. a 1610 Healey Cebes (1636) 136 The fore-most of them, Right knowledge, the rest are her sisters. |
B. adv. First, before any other or anything else, in position or rank;
† formerly also, in time, serial order, etc.;
= first B. 1. Also in strengthened phrase,
first and foremost.
| a 1000 Elene 68 (Gr.) Þæs þe hie feonda ᵹefær fyrmest ᵹesæᵹon. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 235 Si forme lage þat is si ȝecende lage, þe god sett formest an þes mannes heorte. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1472 Esau was firmest boren And iacob sone after. c 1350 Will. Palerne 268 He swor formest þat ȝe schuld have no harm. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1580) 4 The Logician first and formoste, professeth to knowe wordes, before he..knitte sentences. 1599 T. M[oufet] Silkwormes 66 He formost dies, and yeelds to fatal dart: Ne liues she long. 1650 Trapp Comm. Numb. ii. 3 Judah encamped foremost. It was fit the Lion should leade the way. |
b. In the first place, firstly. See
first B. 1 c.
| 1393, 1583 [see first B. 1 c.]. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 3 First and formest requisite it is, that the ground be good. |
Hence
† ˈforemostly adv. Obs., in the foremost place, in front.
| 1607 Dekker & Webster Sir T. Wyat D.'s Wks. 1873 III. 113 Norfolke rides formostly, his crest well knowne. ? a 1700 Ballad of Jephthah in Percy's Reliq. (1876) I. 184 When he saw his daughter dear Coming on most foremostly, He wrung his hands. |