SECOND

second

(adjective) a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first; “second flute”; “the second violins”

second, nd

(adjective) coming next after the first in position in space or time or degree or magnitude

second, secondly

(adverb) in the second place; “second, we must consider the economy”

irregular, second

(noun) merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name

second, secondment, endorsement, indorsement

(noun) a speech seconding a motion; “do I hear a second?”

second

(noun) the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match

second, arcsecond

(noun) a 60th part of a minute of arc; “the treasure is 2 minutes and 45 seconds south of here”

second

(noun) following the first in an ordering or series; “he came in a close second”

second, sec

(noun) 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d’Unites

moment, minute, second, instant

(noun) a particular point in time; “the moment he arrived the party began”

moment, mo, minute, second, bit

(noun) an indefinitely short time; “wait just a moment”; “in a mo”; “it only takes a minute”; “in just a bit”

hertz, Hz, cycle per second, cycles, second, cps, cycle

(noun) the unit of frequency; one hertz has a periodic interval of one second (named for Heinrich Rudolph Hertz)

second

(verb) transfer an employee to a different, temporary assignment; “The officer was seconded for duty overseas”

second, back, endorse, indorse

(verb) give support or one’s approval to; “I’ll second that motion”; “I can’t back this plan”; “endorse a new project”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Adjective

second (not comparable)

Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.

Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior.

Being of the same kind as one that has preceded; another.

Synonyms

• other

• (nonstandard): twoth

Adverb

second (not comparable)

(with superlative) After the first; at the second rank.

After the first occurrence but before the third.

Noun

second (plural seconds)

Something that is number two in a series.

Something that is next in rank, quality, precedence, position, status, or authority.

The place that is next below or after first in a race or contest.

(usually, in the plural) A manufactured item that, though still usable, fails to meet quality control standards.

(usually, in the plural) An additional helping of food.

A chance or attempt to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around. (See second-guess.)

(music) The interval between two adjacent notes in a diatonic scale (either or both of them may be raised or lowered from the basic scale via any type of accidental).

The second gear of an engine.

(baseball) Second base.

The agent of a party to an honour dispute whose role was to try to resolve the dispute or to make the necessary arrangements for a duel.

A Cub Scout appointed to assist the sixer.

Synonym: seconder

Verb

second (third-person singular simple present seconds, present participle seconding, simple past and past participle seconded)

(transitive) To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two.

To follow in the next place; to succeed.

(climbing) To climb after a lead climber.

Etymology 2

Noun

second (plural seconds)

One-sixtieth of a minute; the SI unit of time, defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of caesium-133 in a ground state at a temperature of absolute zero and at rest.

A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree.

(informal) A short, indeterminate amount of time.

Synonyms

• (unit of angle): second of arc, arcsecond

• (short, indeterminate amount of time): (colloquial) sec

• Appendix:Words used as placeholders to count seconds

Etymology 3

Verb

second (third-person singular simple present seconds, present participle seconding, simple past and past participle seconded)

(transitive, UK) To transfer temporarily to alternative employment.

(transitive) To assist or support; to back.

(transitive) To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (This may come from the English adjective above.)

(transitive, music) To accompany by singing as the second performer.

Noun

second (plural seconds)

One who supports another in a contest or combat, such as a dueller's assistant.

One who supports or seconds a motion, or the act itself, as required in certain meetings to pass judgement etc.

(obsolete) Aid; assistance; help.

Anagrams

• CODENs, coends, condes, consed, decons, sconed

Source: Wiktionary


Sec"ond, a. Etym: [F., fr. L. secundus second, properly, following, fr. sequi to follow. See Sue to follow, and cf. Secund.]

1. Immediately following the first; next to the first in order of place or time; hence, occuring again; another; other. And he slept and dreamed the second time. Gen. xli. 5.

2. Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior. May the day when we become the second people upon earth . . . be the day of our utter extirpation. Landor.

3. Being of the same kind as another that has preceded; another, like a protype; as, a second Cato; a second Troy; a second deluge. A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! Shak. Second Adventist. See Adventist.

– Second cousin, the child of a cousin.

– Second-cut file. See under File.

– Second distance (Art), that part of a picture between the foreground and the background; -- called also middle ground, or middle distance. [R.] -- Second estate (Eng.), the House of Peers.

– Second girl, a female house-servant who does the lighter work, as chamber work or waiting on table.

– Second intention. See under Intention.

– Second story, Story floor, in America, the second range of rooms from the street level. This, in England, is called the first floor, the one beneath being the ground floor.

– Second thought or thoughts, consideration of a matter following a first impulse or impression; reconsideration. On second thoughts, gentlemen, I don't wish you had known him. Dickens.

Sec"ond, n.

1. One who, or that which, follows, or comes after; one next and inferior in place, time, rank, importance, excellence, or power. Man an angel's second, nor his second long. Young.

2. One who follows or attends another for his support and aid; a backer; an assistant; specifically, one who acts as another's aid in a duel. Being sure enough of seconds after the first onset. Sir H. Wotton.

3. Aid; assistance; help. [Obs.] Give second, and my love Is everlasting thine. J. Fletcher.

4. pl.

Definition: An article of merchandise of a grade inferior to the best; esp., a coarse or inferior kind of flour.

5. Etym: [F. seconde. See Second, a.]

Definition: The sixtieth part of a minute of time or of a minute of space, that is, the second regular subdivision of the degree; as, sound moves about 1,140 English feet in a second; five minutes and ten seconds north of this place.

6. In the duodecimal system of mensuration, the twelfth part of an inch or prime; a line. See Inch, and Prime, n., 8.

7. (Mus.) (a) The interval between any tone and the tone which is represented on the degree of the staff next above it. (b) The second part in a concerted piece; -- often popularly applied to the alto. Second hand, the hand which marks the seconds on the dial of a watch or a clock.

Sec"ond, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seconded; p. pr. & vb. n. Seconding.] Etym: [Cf. F. seconder, L. secundare, from secundus. See Second, a.]

1. To follow in the next place; to succeed; to alternate. [R.] In the method of nature, a low valley is immediately seconded with an ambitious hill. Fuller. Sin is seconded with sin. South.

2. To follow or attend for the purpose of assisting; to support; to back; to act as the second of; to assist; to forward; to encourage. We have supplies to second our attempt. Shak. In human works though labored on with pain, A thousand movements scarce one purpose gain; In God's, one single can its end produce, Yet serves to second too some other use. Pope.

3. Specifically, to support, as a motion or proposal, by adding one's voice to that of the mover or proposer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the most massive cup of coffee contained 22,739.14 liters and was created by Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná (Colombia) at Parque de Bolívar, Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia, on 15 June 2019. Fifty people worked for more than a month to build this giant cup. The drink prepared was Arabic coffee.

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