second, third, etc. hand

secondhand

1. adverb Indirectly, as opposed to from the original source. But I heard secondhand, so who knows if that information is actually true.2. adjective Describing information that has been learned indirectly, as opposed to from the original source. I can't trust this secondhand gossip! Who was in the meeting and can tell us what really happened?

(at) second, third, etc. ˈhand

by being told about something by somebody else who has seen it or heard about it, not by experiencing, seeing, etc. it yourself: I’m fed up of hearing about these decisions third hand!See also: hand