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first water
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noun
(formerly) the highest degree of fineness in a diamond or other precious stone.Compare water (def. 13).
the finest quality; highest rank.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of first water
First recorded in 1745–55
Words nearby first water
first-termer, first thing, first things first, first-time, first-timer, first water, First World, first world problem, First World War, firth, fisc
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use first water in a sentence
She was got up expensive, all real lace and first-water sparks, and just as handsome as a towel rack.
Shorty McCabe|Sewell FordYet they were constantly after him, for they knew they were likely to get a first-water gem.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete|Albert Bigelow PaineAn expert would have known immediately that it was a first-water product of an expert gunsmith.
The Black Wolf Pack|Dan Beard
British Dictionary definitions for first water
first water
noun
the finest quality of diamond or other precious stone
the highest grade or best quality
the most extreme kinda fool of the first water
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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