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

During the sentencing hearing, Judge William Mousley KC said the pathology evidence had shown that Nowak would not have survived, "however quickly he received first aid, CPR or expert medical treatment".

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"In simple terms, he would not have survived, however quickly he received first aid, CPR or expert medical treatment," the judge added.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

The member of the public called for an ambulance himself and, along with Matabiswana's girlfriend, administered first aid to an unresponsive Harden.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

In mitigation, Luke Ponte KC said Roberts was "devastated" and had tried to offer first aid to the couple despite losing consciousness himself in the crash.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Other smaller specialist groups existed, in which boys learned how to signal in Morse code, operate antiaircraft weaponry, provide first aid and practical field medicine, perform air-raid warden duties, and handle other weapons.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti