firstfruits
firstfruits Lexical Profile
firstfruits Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The earliest agricultural crops or produce of a season, traditionally offered to a deity or religious institution as a gesture of thanksgiving.
"In ancient agricultural societies, farmers brought the firstfruits of their barley and wheat harvests to the temple altar."
The initial positive results, rewards, or products of an endeavor, project, or period of work.
"The newly published monograph represents the firstfruits of a decade-long archaeological excavation."
In feudal and ecclesiastical history, a payment consisting of the first year's whole profits of a spiritual benefice or temporal estate, formerly paid by a new holder to the Pope or monarch.
"Under the Tudor reforms, the collection of ecclesiastical firstfruits and tenths was transferred from the papacy to the English Crown."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in Middle English as a calque of Late Latin 'primitiae' (literally 'first things') and Ancient Greek 'aparche', popularized by early English Bible translations referring to the ancient Israelite harvest offering.