second bestadj.

Forms: Also second-best.

1. Next in quality to the first.

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the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > [adjective] > second best

next best1423

secondary1428

second best1439

secondc1440

secondar1474

second-rate1669

second line1797

second-class1837

1439 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 114 To Watkyn Asshwell my secunde best furre and gowne.

1616 W. Shakespeare Will in Knight Life (1843) 534 Item I give unto my wife my second best bed, with the furniture.

1837 J. G. Lockhart Mem. Life Scott I. iii. 95 I gather from Mr. Irving that these lines were considered as the second best set of those produced on the occasion.

1871 Punch 19 Aug. 67/1 Inviting your second best acquaintances to your second dance or dinner.

2. absol. quasi-n. Something inferior to the best. †to have the second best: to get the worst of it (cf. 3).

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the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > defeat or overthrow > be defeated or overthrown [verb (intransitive)] > be defeated or lose

to have (also get) the worsec1275

leesec1300

lose1548

to deserve or lose the bell1600

to have the lower hand1693

to have the second best1708

to come off second best1777

skunk1867

to be dumped on1967

the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > inferior thing > [noun] > second rate

secondarya1616

second best1708

second-rate1799

second-rater1826

1708 Sir W. Robinson in 3rd Rep. Deputy Keeper Ireland 37 Some people [are] of opinion that my lord is like to have but y^e second best.

1881 Illustr. London News 17 Jan. 65/2 Most people must be contented with second bests in this world.

3. quasi-adv. In to come off second best, to be defeated in a contest (see to come off 6a(a) at come v. Phrasal verbs 1).

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