first-fruits
Definition
- Noun (plural in form, often treated as singular or plural):
- First agricultural produce of a season: "first-fruits" refers to the earliest crops or harvest gathered at the beginning of a growing season, often offered as a religious sacrifice or gift.
- Initial results or benefits: In a figurative sense, "first-fruits" means the earliest outcomes, rewards, or profits from any undertaking or effort.
- Historical legal term: In some historical contexts, "first-fruits" denoted a payment or bribe made by a new officeholder to their superior upon assuming a position.
Usage Examples
- (The earliest gathered crops were given in a religious ritual.)
- (The initial positive results have appeared.)
- (A payment made upon taking office.)
Advanced Usage
- "to offer first-fruits": To present the earliest or best results as a gift or tribute.
- The scientist offered the first-fruits of her research to the community. (She shared her initial findings generously.)
Variants and Related Words
- Firstfruit (n, singular, less common): a single initial product or result.
- The firstfruit of their labor was a small but successful exhibition. (The very first outcome.)
Synonyms
- First yield: the earliest produce or return.
- Initial harvest: the first gathering of crops or results.
- Primitive fruits: an older term for early agricultural products.
Related Idioms
- The first-fruits of one's labors: the initial rewards from hard work.
- The book's publication was the first-fruits of years of writing. (The first tangible outcome of sustained effort.)
Cultural Note
- In biblical and religious contexts, "first-fruits" often symbolizes gratitude and dedication to a deity, as seen in the Old Testament practice of offering the first sheaf of grain or the firstborn of livestock.