first-rate

  • 1First-rate — was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line, those mounting 100 guns or more on three gundecks. [Bennett The Battle of Trafalgar , p. 19] First rate vessels carried over 800 crew and displaced in excess of 2,000… …

    Wikipedia

  • 2First-rate — (f[ e]rst r[=a]t ), a. Of the highest excellence; pre[ e]minent in quality, size, or estimation. [1913 Webster] Our only first rate body of contemporary poetry is the German. M. Arnold. [1913 Webster] Hermocrates . . . a man of first rate ability …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3first-rate — adj. 1. of the highest quality; as, a first rate reporter. Syn: ace, A one, first class, super, tip top, topnotch, tops(predicate). [WordNet 1.5] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 4First-rate — n. (Naut.) A war vessel of the highest grade or the most powerful class. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5first-rate — I. adjective Date: 1671 of the first order of size, importance, or quality • first rateness noun • first rater noun II. adverb Date: 1844 very well < is getting along first rate, now Mark Twain > …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 6First-rate — 1er rang 1er rang (first rate) est, entre le milieu du XVIIe&#160;siècle et le milieu du XIXe&#160;siècle, une dénomination utilisée par la Royal Navy pour classer un navires de guerre à voile ayant comme caractéristique principale un nombre de&#8230; …

    Wikipédia en Français

  • 7first-rate — /ferrst rayt /, adj. 1. excellent; superb. 2. of the highest rank, rate, or class. adv. 3. very well. [1660 70] * * * …

    Universalium

  • 8Rate — Rate, n. [OF., fr. L. rata (sc. pars), fr. ratus reckoned, fixed by calculation, p. p. of reri to reckon, to calculate. Cf. {Reason}.] 1. Established portion or measure; fixed allowance. [1913 Webster] The one right feeble through the evil rate&#8230; …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 9First-class — a. Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first rate; as, a first class telescope. [1913 Webster] {First class car} or {First class railway carriage}, any passenger car of the highest regular class, a …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 10First-class car — First class First class , a. Of the best class; of the highest rank; in the first division; of the best quality; first rate; as, a first class telescope. [1913 Webster] {First class car} or {First class railway carriage}, any passenger car of the …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English