first aid

American  

noun

1. emergency aid or treatment given to someone injured, suddenly ill, etc., before regular medical services arrive or can be reached.

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first aid British  

noun

1. 1. immediate medical assistance given in an emergency

   2. ( as modifier )

      first-aid box

2. (in Barbados) a small shop that sells domestic items after hours

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Other Word Forms

• first-aider
  noun
• first-aid
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of first aid

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The Jordanian civil defence said Klieber had been given first aid treatment, taken to a hospital and his vital signs were good.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

But Pyrtsu -- who said he did not bring a first aid kit -- brushes off the idea of a strike.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

GMP added: "Officers used handcuffs to detain him and quickly identified he was unresponsive, through the provision of first aid, and began with CPR."

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

The woman, 35, was "pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid", police said, and suffered "serious arm and leg injuries".

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

A knife, rope, PowerBars, water bottle, compass, first aid kit, a topographical map, my sketchpad, a hardcover novel, and a book Leo gave me on topography.

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes