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

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

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

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

Inside was everything they needed to keep from freezing and starving to death: a sturdy tent, sleeping bags, flashlights, a first aid kit, a camping stove, and a pot to melt snow for water.

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis