second1
/ˈsɛk(ə)nd
/ordinal number
1Constituting number two in a sequence; coming after the first in time or order; 2nd: he married for a second time Herbert was the second of their six children the second of October the second-youngest player...
- The second number in the order is something that I do not think that my learned friend has strong views upon.
- There have been a large number of orders and the second publication will be out shortly.
- The second defendant ordered the victim to leap down from the roof of a gazebo.
Synonyms
next, following, after the first, subsequent, ensuing, succeeding, coming
1.1Secondly (used to introduce a second point or reason): second, they are lightly regulated; and third, they do business with non-resident clients...
- First, it comes from the country that gave the world Mussolini and second, it will break down.
1.2 Music An interval spanning two consecutive notes in a diatonic scale.It's a row you can hum, for it emphasizes thirds and fourths, rather than seconds and tritones....
- With its visceral tritones and flatted seconds, the band's sound revolved more around the riff than the song.
- There is little dissonance beyond frequent major seconds (next-door notes).
1.3The note which is higher by a second interval than the tonic of a diatonic scale or root of a chord.
1.4The second in a sequence of a vehicle’s gears: he took the corner in second...
- I slip the bike into the second of 24 powerful gears and accelerate to six miles an hour.
1.5 Baseball Second base.He looks for the same pitch with nobody on base as when there is a runner on second.
1.6chiefly British The second form of a school or college.
1.7 (seconds) informal A second course or second helping of food at a meal.I make a huge dinner with enough for everyone to eat and maybe some people could even have seconds if there was food and they were motivated.
Synonyms
a second helping, a further helping, more
1.8Denoting someone or something regarded as comparable to or reminiscent of a better-known predecessor: a fear that the conflict would turn into a second Vietnam...
- Iraq is becoming a second Vietnam with the same tired strategies.
- Will their ever be a second "Beatles"?
Synonyms
another, duplicate, reproduction, twin, double, new, replicate, matching;
repeat of, copy of, carbon copy of
2Subordinate or inferior in position, rank, or importance: it was second only to Copenhagen among Baltic ports he is a writer first and a scientist second...
- Switzerland is perhaps second only to Germany in enthusiasm for Lebkuchen.
- The first one being simply waved off, it is the second aspect that takes importance.
- He has impressed in the health brief and is now ranked second favourite by some bookies.
Synonyms
secondary, lower, subordinate, subsidiary, lesser, minor, subservient, supporting, lower-grade, inferior
2.1Additional to that already existing, used, or possessed: a second home French as a second language...
- The child may have already had some teaching in Swedish as a second language.
- Grainger denies one charge of robbery and a second charge of possessing a firearm with intent to commit robbery.
- Stakeholder pensions are second pensions in addition to the basic state pension that everyone gets.
Synonyms
additional, extra, fresh, another, further, repeat, supplementary, supplemental
spare, extra, additional, alternative, another, backup, relief, fallback, substitute, auxiliary, ancillary;
redundant, surplus, superfluous;
North American alternate
2.2The second finisher or position in a race or competition: he finished second...
- The team have been regular entrants in the competition and finished second five years ago.
- After winning the qualifying heats she finished a close second in the final.
- Cindy Medina, based at Fairmount Park, finished second with nine points.
2.3British A place in the second grade in an examination, especially for a degree.
2.4 Music Performing a lower or subordinate of two or more parts for the same instrument or voice: the second violins...
- She played second violin in a philharmonic orchestra that happened to be visiting my town.
- We note that the twelve first violins were playing identical notes, as were the second violins.
- Lines are passed from the flutes, to the low brass, to the tubas and bass clarinets, and finally to the horns and second trumpets.
2.5 (seconds) Goods of an inferior quality.
Synonyms
imperfect goods, faulty goods, defective goods, flawed goods, inferior goods, rejects, export rejects, discards
2.6 (the seconds) The reserve team of a sports club.The clubs' first and third teams were due to play each other at Sandylands on December 27, while the seconds were scheduled to play at Settle on the same day....
- Stand-off Chris Meehan is fit again after his troubles in Newcastle city centre, when he was victim of an attack, but he will play for the seconds.
- Carlow ladies travelled to Kilkenny on Saturday to play this back match against Wexford seconds.
2.7Coarse flour, or bread made from it.
3An assistant, in particular:The two second in commands, watched with hidden fear and amusement at the scene.
Synonyms
assistant, attendant, helper, aide, supporter, backer, auxiliary, right-hand man/woman, girl/man Friday, second in command, number two, deputy, vice-, understudy, subordinate, adjutant, subaltern, henchman
informal sidekick
3.1An attendant assisting a combatant in a duel or boxing match.It included a tryst with a young man, who volunteered to be a second in a duel....
- As the second stooped to assist her fallen friend, who should walk towards the hotel entrance but their hero.
3.2A Cub or Brownie chosen by their pack to assist the Sixer and replace them when they are absent.
verb [with object]
1Formally support or endorse (a nomination or resolution or its proposer) as a necessary preliminary to adoption or further discussion: Bridgeman seconded Maxwell’s motion calling for the reform...
- Major supported her, and seconded her nomination for the first ballot.
- After the nomination was seconded, we voted on whether to give John a bid.
- The adoption of the plan was seconded by Councillor Richard Finn.
Synonyms
formally support, give one's support to, announce one's support for, vote for, back, back up, approve, give one's approval to, endorse, promote, commend
1.1Express agreement with: her view is seconded by most Indian leaders today...
- Leader of the US delegation, then-Vice President Al Gore's view was seconded and reiterated by distinguished speakers from all over the world.
- That view is seconded by Robert Bryce in his book.
- All evidence pointed to it and his gut feeling seconded his view.
1.2 archaic Support; back up: so well was he seconded by the multitude of labourers at his command
Phrases
every second
in the second place
second to none
Derivatives
seconder
/ noun ...- Tuesday's election will hear proposers and seconders make their case for each of the three candidates before the voting.
- They will most likely record Maloney as proposer (which he was) and Flannery as seconder (which he was not).
- Frank English could not find a seconder for their proposals.
Origin
Middle English: via Old French from Latin secundus 'following, second', from the base of sequi 'follow'. The verb dates from the late 16th century.
This comes from Latin secundus ‘following, second’, from sequi ‘to follow’, which gives its base sense. The time word (Late Middle English) is from medieval Latin secunda (minuta) ‘second (minute)’, referring to the ‘second’ operation of dividing an hour by 60. The verb (early 19th century) as in seconded the motion is from French en second ‘in the second rank (of officers)’. The use was originally military involving the removal of an officer temporarily from his regiment to an extra-regimental appointment. Sect (Middle English), originally ‘a following’ is also from sequi, as is persecute (Late Middle English) ‘to follow with hostility’, and sequel.
Rhymes
second2
/ˈsɛk(ə)nd/noun
1 (abbreviation s) A sixtieth of a minute of time, which as the SI unit of time is defined in terms of the natural periodicity of the radiation of a caesium-133 atom. (Symbol: ʺ) Torrance squeezed the trigger, waited twenty five seconds and fired again....
- God, why couldn't he have come just three seconds earlier?
- The score that well and truly got Tallow back into contention came just sixty seconds before the half-time break.
1.1 informal A very short time: his eyes met Charlotte’s for a second...
- Why, wait just one second… that's a gentleman on the stage!
- Everyone bought what was put in the basket without even a second's hesitation.
- In a second he was out of bed, running towards the burglar and ‘screeching’ at him to get out.
Synonyms
moment, bit, little while, short time, instant, split second
informal sec, nanosecond, jiffy, jiff
British informal mo, tick, two ticks
(very) soon, in a minute, in a moment, in a trice, in a flash, shortly, any minute, any minute now, in a short time, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, in (less than) no time, in no time at all, before you know it, before long;
North American momentarily
informal in a sec, in a nanosecond, in a jiffy, in two shakes, in two shakes of a lamb's tail, before you can say Jack Robinson, in the blink of an eye, in a blink, in the wink of an eye, in a wink, before you can say knife
British informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo
North American informal in a snap
2 (also arc second or second of arc) A sixtieth of a minute of angular distance. (Symbol: ʺ) In actual numbers its resolution is about half an arc second, which is equivalent of seeing a five cent piece from about 10 kilometres away....
- For a gyroscope in polar orbit, it works out to be about 0.041 arc second per year.
- It crosses at a point 50 seconds of arc to the east of the previous year.
Origin
Late Middle English: from medieval Latin secunda (minuta) 'second (minute)', feminine (used as a noun) of secundus, referring to the ‘second’ operation of dividing an hour by sixty.
second3
/sɪˈkɒnd/verb [with object] British
Transfer (a military officer or other official or worker) temporarily to other employment or another position: I was seconded to a public relations unit...
- The mutual aid process, in which officers are seconded to other forces, has also come under scrutiny.
- This trend continued after Crown rule in 1858 and nearly all military engineers seconded to the Indian Army were British sapper officers.
- Reed was its national convenor, while Bone and Cook were seconded to work for the forum from their Rotherham Council jobs.
Synonyms
assign temporarily, lend;
transfer, move, shift, relocate, assign, reassign, send, attach, allocate, detail, appoint
Derivatives
secondee
- What has been demonstrated is that they've been secondees to the Australian Crime Commission and they've been the subject of corruption allegations.
- Staff consist of secondees on two to three-year leave from departments.
- During its time in opposition, Andersen supplied secondees and ‘free work’ for Labour.
Origin
Early 19th century: from French en second 'in the second rank (of officers)'.