first vs now

first

adv
  • Now. 

  • For the first time. 

  • Before anything else; firstly. 

noun
  • first base 

  • A first-edition copy of some publication. 

  • A fraction whose (integer) denominator ends in the digit 1. 

  • The first gear of an engine. 

  • Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence. 

  • A first-class honours degree. 

  • The person or thing in the first position. 

adj
  • Preceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest. 

  • Of or belonging to a first family. 

  • Most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; highest. 

now

adv
  • At the present time. 

  • Used to indicate a context of urgency. 

  • Sometimes; occasionally. 

  • Used to address a switching side, or sharp change in attitude from before. (In this usage, now is usually emphasized). 

  • Used to introduce a point, a qualification of what has previously been said, a remonstration or a rebuke. 

  • At the time reached within a narration. 

  • Differently from the immediate past; differently from a more remote past or a possible future; differently from all other times. 

noun
  • The state of not paying attention to the future or the past. 

  • The present time. 

  • A particular instant in time, as perceived at that instant. 

conj
  • Since, because, in light of the fact; often with that. 

adj
  • Fashionable; popular; up to date; current. 

  • Present; current. 

intj
  • Indicates a signal to begin. 

How often have the words first and now occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )