What is the fist meaning listed in the dictionary called?

Answer 1

Some dictionaries list meanings in historical order: the oldest meaning first, followed by newer meanings as the the use of the word developed. Some dictionaries list meanings in reversehistorical order: the most recent meanings, down to the originally-recorded meanings. Other dictionaries list the most frequently used meaning first -- the most common meaning -- followed by the less frequently used meanings -- the rarer meanings. Still others list the everyday meanings first, followed by the technical meanings -- the meanings used by specialists in various fields of study. The front matter of a dictionary ought to tell you how the order of the definitions was determined for that dictionary. If the editors do not report that information, then you can sometimes figure it out by examining the definitions. In any event, in modern dictionaries, the "first listed meaning" is certainly not the "preferred" or "recommended" meaning.