Foremost

a. and adv. (superl.) Forms: 1 formest, fyrmest, (firmest), 2–7 formost, 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., 1524 (Cott.).

1485.  Caxton, Charles the Grete, 195. The sone of god, for to repayre thoffence of our formest fader adam, descended in to thys world.

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 þ^e acompte of þe maistres.

a. 1400.  Hymn Virg., 8, in Min. Poems Vern. MS. (E.E.T.S.), 134.

  † 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. After Þe formeste word of þe salme, and ate biginninge of cristendom, elch man leornede pater noster and credo.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 18. Sigge ðe vormeste viue, ‘Adoramus te, Christe,’ fif siðen kneolinde.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 26876 (Cott.).

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 493.

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, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 126. Gif he fallis, the latter pairt is warst nor y^e formest.

1709.  Addison, Tatler, No. 24, 2 June, ¶ 13. The Foremost of the whole Rank of Toasts, and the most undisputed in their present Empire, are Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Frontlet: The First an Agreeable, the Second an Awful Beauty.

  3.  Most forward or advanced in position; front: = FIRST A. 3. † Also in agreement with sb. to indicate the front part or front of. (Cf. L. summus mons, etc.)

c. 1205.  Lay., 23801.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2324. Þe prouost wiþ al þe puple · presed forþ formast.

a. 1400.  Octouian, 1105.

c. 1450.  Merlin, 46. He wolde come be nyght hym-self to his teynte, formeste of his company.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy. Turkie, IV. xiii. 126 b. I saw hin mounted on a fair Turkie horse decked with the whole skinne of a great Lion, fastened with the two formost feet before vpon the brest, and the other two hanging downe behind.

1658.  A. Fox, trans. Wurtz’ Surg., II. xxv. 152. It happeneth many times, that the foremost part of the Arms bone are broken.

1667.  Milton, P. L., II. 26.

1766.  Goldsm., Vic. W., xiii. The Giant, for the first time, 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 cllose on him.

  b.  absol. or ellipt. Also in advb. phrase, † a formest.

c. 1205.  Lay., 24611.

a. 1310.  in Wright’s, Lyric P., xii. 41.

c. 1400.  Song Roland, 807.

c. 1489.  Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, vi. 137. Reynawde wente out of Bordews, the formest of all his folke, agenst the sarrasins.

1553.  T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 67. Good will settyng me forthe with the foremost: I can not chuse but write what I am able.

1774.  Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 175. Those [dogs] which are young, fierce, and unaccustomed to the chace, are generally the foremost, and often lose their lives by their ardour.

1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, xxxiv. That person, as may well be supposed, was the Smith of the Wynd, who had been the foremost in the crowd that thronged to see the gallant champions of Clan Quhele.

1872.  Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxiii. You would have fancied that the camp was really her birthplace, and that she was determined to march with the foremost, as the good song says.

  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 foure 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.  Dampier, Voy., I. iii. 49. When it [the Man of War] sees its prey, it flys down head foremost to the waters edge, very swiftly takes it prey out of the Sea with his Bill, and immediately mounts again as swiftly.

1842.  Whitehead, R. Savage (1845), III. ix. 420. Wigs awry, or wrong-side foremost.

1856.  Ferrier, Inst. Metaph., Introd. 46. From what has been already said about the principles or first elements of philosophy being the last to show themselves, it is obvious that this is a science which naturally comes to us end foremost.

1865.  Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. i. The boat made slight headway against it [the tide], or drove stern foremost before it, accordinng as he directed his daughter by a movement of his head.

  4.  Most notable or prominent, best, chief. Also more emphatically first and foremost: = FIRST A. 4.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. xx. 27. And 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 the 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. Our English, the language of men ever famous, and formost in the achievements of liberty, will not easily finde servile letters anow to spell such a dictatorie presumption English.

1791.  Cowper, Iliad, I. 83.

1851.  Dixon, W. Penn, xvi. (1872), 137. Foremost of these sufferers were the Quakers.

  absol. or ellipt.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. xix. 30. Soðlice maneȝa 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, called by the names of Fortitude, Iustice, Integrity of life, Temperance, Modesty, Liberality, Continency, & Clemency.

  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 ȝefær fyrmest ȝesæȝon.

a. 1175.  Cott. Hom., 235. Si forme lage þat is si ȝecende lage, þe god sett formest an þes mannes heorte.

a. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1472.

a. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 268.

1551.  T. Wilson, Logike (1580), 4. The Logician first and foremoste, professeth to knowe wordes, before he purposeth to knitte sentences.

1599.  T. M[oufet], Silkwormes, 66.

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 † Foremostly adv. Obs., in the foremost place, in front.

1607.  Dekker & Webster, Sir T. Wyat, D’s Wks. 1873, III. 113.

a. 1700[?].  Ballad of Jephthah, in Percy’s Reliq. (1876), I. 184.