first gear

noun

The first gear of a transmission or other gearbox, which usually is the one that provides the lowest output speed and greatest mechanical advantage, except in setups in which there is a granny gear.

“Near-synonym: low gear (synonymous except when a creeper gear is present)”

Similar
firstlow gearlow
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Meanings

nounfirst gear (countable and uncountable, plural first gears)

plural first gears

  1. countableuncountableThe first gear of a transmission or other gearbox, which usually is the one that provides the lowest output speed and greatest mechanical advantage, except in setups in which there is a granny gear.

    Near-synonym: low gear (synonymous except when a creeper gear is present)

    Synonyms: first, low gear

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe first gear of a transmission or other gearbox, which usually is the one that provides the lowest output speed and greatest mechanical advantage, except in setups in which there is a granny gear.

Similar
firstlow gear

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving

Similar
firstlow gearlow
Broader
geargear mechanism
Also see
firstlowlow gear

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian пъ́рва преда́вка
  • пъ́рва преда́вка (pắrva predávka)lowest gear of a transmission
Chinese Mandarin 第一檔 /第一档
  • 第一檔 /第一档 (dìyīdàng)lowest gear of a transmission
Finnish ykkönen, ykkösvaihde
  • ykkönenlowest gear of a transmission
  • ykkösvaihdelowest gear of a transmission
French première, première vitesse
  • premièrelowest gear of a transmission
  • première vitesselowest gear of a transmission
German erster Gang
  • erster Ganglowest gear of a transmission
Hungarian egyes, egyes fokozat
  • egyeslowest gear of a transmission
  • egyes fokozatlowest gear of a transmission
  • egyes sebességlowest gear of a transmission
Icelandic fyrsti gír
  • fyrsti gírlowest gear of a transmission
Irish céad ghiar
  • céad ghiarlowest gear of a transmission
Italian prima, prima marcia
  • primalowest gear of a transmission
  • prima marcialowest gear of a transmission
Japanese ローギア
  • ローギア (rō gia)lowest gear of a transmission
Polish pierwszy bieg
  • pierwszy bieglowest gear of a transmission
Portuguese primeira marcha
  • primeira marchalowest gear of a transmission
Romanian prima viteză
  • prima vitezălowest gear of a transmission
Russian пе́рвая переда́ча
  • пе́рвая переда́ча (pérvaja peredáča)lowest gear of a transmission
Swedish etta, ettans växel
  • ettalowest gear of a transmission
  • ettans växellowest gear of a transmission
Cite this entry
APA

first gear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20gear

MLA

“first gear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20gear. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “first gear,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/first%20gear.

Source: first gear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.