first come, first served

idiom

variants: or first come, first serve

Definition of first come, first served

—used to say that the people who arrive earliest get served or treated before the people who arrive laterThe campsites are first come, first served, so we'd better get there early.The campsites are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis."Aren't there any cookies left?" "Sorry—first come, first served."

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Dictionary Entries near first come, first served

first classman

first-class saloon

first coat

first come, first served

firstcomer

first cousin

first cross

Statistics for first come, first served

Cite this Entry

“First come, first served.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20come%2C%20first%20served. Accessed 12 December 2019.