[**Source**](https://books.google.com/books?id=6hOxXxRAWcwC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=%22The%20best%20way%20to%20begin%20our%20inquiry%20into%20this%20area%22&source=bl&ots=xUqV--pxkp&sig=FzJDqvPLANl9tVYY8KT7Mf4uzck&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjz1oTFgszPAhXGxiYKHYZ6CbUQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=%22The%20best%20way%20to%20begin%20our%20inquiry%20into%20this%20area%22&f=false)

I cannot understand the meaning of *as a first stab* in the following sentence.

> 
> As a first stab, epistemology is the philosophical study of knowledge: its nature, its requirements, and its limitations.
> 
> 
> 

What does it mean?

When looking in a dictionary, I found out that the meaning of the word stab is as follows: *the act of pushing a knife into someone, or an injury caused by stabbing* (Cambridge Dictionary)