a. and adv. Forms: 1–3 ǽrest, ǽrost, ǽrst, 2–4 erest, 3–4 arst, (4 ? eroust, 5 erast, eerst), 3–7 earst, (3 earest), 4–6 erste, (6 ierst, 6, 7 yerst), 4– erst. [OE. ǽrest, superl. of ǽr (see ERE); repr. OTeut. *airisto-, whence OHG. ērist (MHG. êrist, mod.G. erst), OS. êrist (Du. eerst).]
A. adj.
† 1. First in time or serial order. Obs.
a. 1000. Guthlac, 408 (Gr.). Wæs seo æreste earmra gæsta costung ofercumen.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 75. Ec of heom wrat þer of his uers and sancte peter wrat þet ereste.
c. 1205. Lay., 2646. Þes wes þe æreste [c. 1275 ereste] king þe ferde vt to ræuing.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 885. Þes alre schafte schuppent, Schawde ure eareste aldren … Þe wit & te wei of lif.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 10. Powel þe erest ancre.
† 2. absol. in advb. phrases. Now (then) at erst: now (then) and not sooner; cf. Ger. erst dann. (App. through misunderstanding of this, Spenser has at erst = ‘as soon as possible, at once.’) On erst (only early ME.; also on alre erst): in the first place, at first.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 264. Þeonne on erest biginneð þe deoflen to weden.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 14. Þenne þudde ich in ham luueliche þohtes, on earst hare unþonckes.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 17. Þat is on alre earst þe stude & te time.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2688. Tho tarst [= at arst] bigan Godrich to go Vpon the Danshe.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. xi. 95. But þan atte arst ben þei verray good. Ibid. (c. 1386), Sec. Nun’s T., 151. And thanne at erst thus to him sayde sche.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. vi. And than at erst fro hense will I wynde.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 6. Now at erst the irness be brennyng hote.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Sept., 6. And now at earst the dirke night doth hast. Ibid. (1596), F. Q., II. iv. 39 (J.). Abandon this forestalled place at erst.
B. adv.
† 1. Earliest, soonest, first in order of time.
Beowulf, 616. Þa freolic wif ful ʓesealde ærest east dena eþelwearde.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xix. 53. And eode seo yldre swystor ærost to his bedde.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 15. Þurh ure lafdi meidenhad þat hit bigon earst þe meiden Marie.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. IV. 29. Bote Concience com arst to Court bi A Myle. Ibid. (1377), B. XIV. 216. Arst in þe Maister þan in þe man.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7233. But Ector the honerable erst was on fote.
† 2. In the first place, before something else is or was done; in preference to doing something else. (Sometimes pleonastically before ere.) Obs.
c. 1260. Ballad, in Rel. Ant., I. 101. Arst we sullen scinin him ay rowe.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 6480. Ac arst mony of his knyghtis gode Loren theo balles in heore hode.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. IV. 5. Bote Reson Rede me þer-to Arst wol I dye! Ibid. (1377), P. Pl., B. V. 468. I shal seke treuthe arst ar I se Rome.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1281. Ac arst þow schalt sykery me … þat þou [etc.].
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 258/4. Why hast not thou erst taken awey the sowle fro my body.
1535. Joye, Apol. Tindale (Arb.), 30. He shuld haue erst proued his parte trw and myn false.
1578. Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 511. Having erst uttered the bowels of thy mercy, thou gavest up the ghost.
1587. M. Grove, Pelops & Hipp., A vij. Earst t’obtaine that still, Which they perceiue doth please the flesh.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 276. And ierst with sodaine feare Lepte of the bed.
† 3. At first, as opposed to afterwards. Obs.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 229. Aceas he him leorninchnihtes erest twelf … siððan twa and sefentiȝe.
c. 1205. Lay., 27456. Ærst [c. 1275 earest] heo lette fleon to feondliche swiðe flan … Seoððen speren chrakeden.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 389. Luþer he was arst ynou, & wel wors he was þo.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 8497. Taurus hit [= hight] Wawain arst.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks., 4. Which comforts the mind, that erst for fear shook.
1605. Rowlands, Hell’s Broke Loose, 34. Tamberlaine Was earst a Sheepheard ere he play’d the King.
† 4. Sooner, earlier; before a specified time or event: esp. with negatives; Not erst: not before, not till then. Obs.
c. 1330. Florice & Bl., 799. Arst ne schal hit neuer bi do.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 337. Þanne þe money schal be payde and nouȝt arst.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 405. Bi sentence of the iuge … and not erst, neither other wise.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 26 b. The wedowes bewailled gretly because he was not erst comen.
1588. Liturg. Serv. Q. Eliz. (1847). Of thy most singular bounty, and never yerst seen care.
† b. conjunctional phrases, Erst than, that = BEFORE C. Obs.
a. 1400[?]. Arthur, 291. Now, erst þan we goo ferþer Every man þat ys here Sey a Pater noster.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 1032. Far may be sought Erst that ye can finde [etc.].
5. Before the present time:
a. Referring to a remoter past: ‘Once upon a time,’ formerly, of old. arch. or poet.
14[?]. Songs & Carols (Warton Club), 22. That ilke blys That arte [? read arste] haȝt ben, and alwey is.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 34. As yerst the Phrygian Knight, So ours … did smite His Trojan horse.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, etc. 185. To Strains which erst the brave Tyrtæus sung.
1789. Coleridge, Anthem Chr. Hosp. Let full gratitude now prompt the tear Which erst did sorrow force to flow.
1808. Wordsw., Inscript. Coleorton. The ivied ruins of forlorn Grace Dieu; Erst a religious House.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), II. 48. Count o’er the friends whom erst you knew.
¶ Misused as prep. = BEFORE.
1839–48. Bailey, Festus, x. 109. Erst all time And all incarnate emanations.
† b. Referring to a recent past: Not long ago, a little while since. Often in Spenser and Milton.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxxii. 250. That fereful company, that I spak of eerst.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 153. But a litle earst ye confessed the thyng, which ye do now deny.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 9. The armes that earst so bright did show.
1606. Warner, Alb. Eng., XV. xcv. 381. The vgliest was this Plot, Preuented earst miraculously.
1663. Butler, Hud., Hud., I. III. (1694), 179. Mean while the other Champions, yerst In hurry of the fight disperst, Arriv’d.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1543. This … horrid spectacle, Which erst my eyes beheld, and yet behold.
1791. Cowper, Retired Cat, 100. Forth skipped the cat, not now replete As erst with airy self-conceit.
6. In comb. with adjs. and ppl. adjs.
1594. J. Dickenson, Arisbas (1878), 33. Wherewith FLORA had in plentie poudred the freshnesse of her earst-gréen hue.
1602. Carew, Cornwall, 100. The earst remembered Sir Ric. … entertained at one time … the Admirals of the English, Spanish, & Netherland fleets.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol (1749), 135. All but the stout And erst unconquer’d Hildebrand.
Hence Erstly adv., in the first place.
1600. Chester Pl., Proem (Shaks. Soc.), 3. Their fore be boulde Erstelye to playe the same.
