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 later The 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."
Test Your Vocabulary
Who Knew?
-
- What is a ruelle?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share first come, first served