first aid

noun

: emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained

Examples of first aid in a Sentence

She gave him first aid for his sprained ankle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dress warmly and bring essentials such as food, water, a first aid kit, a chainsaw and a shovel. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024 Familiarize yourself with basic animal first aid before embarking on longer adventures, just in case something happens, so a call for help is your last resort. Amelia Arvesen, Outside Online, 13 Oct. 2024 Officers administered first aid until paramedics arrived and transported the woman to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024 Rising to the occasion, community members from Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, banded together to collect donations of food, medicine, supplies, and first aid to send to their neighbors up north. Kendall Malinchock, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first aid 

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first aid was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near first aid

Cite this Entry

“First aid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20aid. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

first aid

noun
: emergency treatment given to an ill or injured person

Medical Definition

first aid

noun
: emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained

More from Merriam-Webster on first aid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!