English Dictionary
Definition of “second”
1second1 (ˈsɛkənd
)
Definitions
adjective (usually prenominal)
- coming directly after the first in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of coming directly after the first in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of two: often written 2nd
- ((as noun) ⇒
the second in line
- rated, graded, or ranked between the first and third levels
- alternate ⇒
every second Thursday
- additional; extra ⇒
a second opportunity
- resembling a person or event from an earlier period of history; unoriginal ⇒
a second Wagner
- of lower quality; inferior ⇒
belonging to the second class
- denoting the lowest but one forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle
- music
- relating to or denoting a musical part, voice, or instrument lower in pitch than another part, voice, or instrument (the first) ⇒
the second tenors
- of or relating to a part, instrument, or instrumentalist regarded as subordinate to another (the first) ⇒
the second flute
- See at second hand
noun
- British education an honours degree of the second class, usually further divided into an upper and lower designation second-class honours degree
- the lowest but one forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle ⇒
he changed into second on the bend
- (in boxing, duelling, etc) an attendant who looks after a competitor
- a speech seconding a motion or the person making it
- music
- the interval between one note and another lying next above or below it in the diatonic scale
- one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other See also minor (sense 4)
, major (sense 14)
, interval (sense 5)
- (plural) goods of inferior quality
- (plural) informal a second helping of food
- (plural) the second course of a meal
verb (tr)
- to give aid or backing to
- (in boxing, etc) to act as second to (a competitor)
- to make a speech or otherwise express formal support for (a motion already proposed)
adverb
- secondlyin the second place
sentence connector
- secondlyas the second point: linking what follows with the previous statement
Alternative Forms
ˈseconder noun Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin secundus coming next in order, from sequī to follow
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
supporter,
assistant,
aide,
partner,
colleague,
associate,
backer,
helper,
collaborator,
henchman,
right-hand man,
cooperator,
=
more,
second helpings a second helping a further helping=
imperfect goods
rejects,
faulty goods inferior goods defective goods flawed goods=
support,
back,
endorse,
forward,
promote,
approve,
vote for
go along with,
commend,
give moral support to
help,
further,
aid,
encourage,
2second2 (ˈsɛkənd)
Definitions
noun
- 1/60 of a minute of time
- the basic SI unit of time: the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state of caesium-133 s
- 1/60 of a minute of angle ″
- a very short period of time; moment
Word Origin
C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin pars minūta secunda the second small part (a minute being the first small part of an hour); see secondC14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin the second small part (a minute being the first small part of an hour); see 1
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
moment,
minute,
instant,
flash,
tick,
sec,
twinkling,
split second,
jiffy,
trice,
twinkling of an eye two shakes of a lamb's tail bat of an eye
SEC,
3second3 (sɪˈkɒnd)
Definitions
verb (tr)
British - to transfer (an employee) temporarily to another branch, etc
- military to transfer (an officer) to another post, often retiring him to a staff or nonregimental position
Word Origin
C19: from French en second in second rank (or position)
Translations
- British English:
second
The second thing in a number of things is the one that you count as number two.It was the second day of his holiday.ˈsɛkənd ADJECTIVE It was the second day of his holiday.
- Spanish:
segundo
adj segunda
- French:
deuxième
adj
- German:
zweiter
adj zweite , zweites
- Chinese: 第二的 adj
- Arabic: ثانٍ adj
- Portuguese: segundo adj segunda
- Russian: второй adj вторая
- Croatian: drugi adj druga
- Czech: druhý adj
- Danish: anden adj
- Dutch: tweede adj
- Finnish: toinen adj
- Greek: δεύτερος adj δεύτερη
- Italian: secondo adj seconda
- Japanese: 二番目の no_posp
- Korean: 두 번째의 adj
- Norwegian: andre adj
- Polish: drugi adj druga
- Brazilian Portuguese: segundo adj segunda
- European Spanish:
segundo
adj segunda
- Swedish: andra adj
- Thai: ที่สอง adj
- Turkish: ikinci n
- Vietnamese: thứ hai adj
- British English:
second
A second is an amount of time. There are sixty seconds in one minute.For a few seconds nobody spoke.ˈsɛkənd NOUN For a few seconds nobody spoke.
- Spanish:
segundo
nm
- French:
seconde
nf
- German:
Sekunde
nf
- Chinese: 第二 n
- Arabic: ثَانِيَة n
- Portuguese: segundo nm
- Russian: второй nm вторая
- Croatian: sekunda nf
- Czech: vteřina nf
- Danish: toer nutr
- Dutch: seconde n
- Finnish: kakkonen n
- Greek: δευτερόλεπτο nnt
- Italian: secondo nm
- Japanese: 二番目 n
- Korean: 초 n
- Norwegian: sekund nnt
- Polish: sekunda nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: segundo nm
- European Spanish:
segundo
nm
- Swedish: sekund nutr
- Thai: ลำดับที่สอง n
- Turkish: ikinci n
- Vietnamese: thứ hai n
Usage examples
For a second it righted itself, riding still lower in the river.
Garth Nix, LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)Further planning consent for 4 extra boxes and second manege.
Country Life (2004)They were successful in one referendum on divorce and lost a second by 9,000 votes.
Irish Times (2002)It is the second time in recent years that the South Pole station's physician has developed a serious illness.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Women... were treated with such disregard for their modesty that many could not bring themselves to make a second visit.
Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
