second

English Online Dictionary. What means second‎? What does second mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“I follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”). Doublet of secundo. Displaced native twoth and partially displaced native other (from Old English ōþer (“other; next; second”)).

Alternative forms

• (number-two): 2nd, 2ⁿᵈ, 2d, 2ᵈ, IInd
• (number-two): II, II. (in the names of monarchs and popes)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛkənd/
• (US) enPR: sĕʹkənd, IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/, /ˈsɛk.(ə)nt/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛkɪnd/
• Rhymes: -ɛkənd
• Hyphenation: sec‧ond

Adjective

second (not comparable)

1. Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
2. Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior.
3. Being of the same kind as one that has preceded; another.

Synonyms

• other

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

second (not comparable)

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

2. After the first occurrence but before the third.

Translations

Noun

second (plural seconds)

1. Something that is number two in a series.
2. Something that is next in rank, quality, precedence, position, status, or authority.
3. The place that is next below or after first in a race or contest.
4. (usually in the plural) A manufactured item that, though still usable, fails to meet quality control standards.

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

6. A chance or attempt to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around. (See second-guess.)
7. (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).
8. The second gear of an engine.
9. (baseball) Second base.
10. 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.
11. A Cub Scout appointed to assist the sixer.

    Synonym: seconder
12. (informal) A second-class honours degree.

Derived terms

Related terms

• (music): secundal (adj.)

Translations

Verb

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

1. (Should we move, merge or split⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (transitive) To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (See etymology 3 for translations.)

2. To follow in the next place; to succeed.
3. (climbing) To climb after a lead climber.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English secunde, seconde, borrowed from Old French seconde, from Medieval Latin secunda, short for secunda pars minuta (“second diminished part (of the hour)”).

Alternative forms

• (SI unit of time): (abbreviations) s, sec; (symbols) s (SI and non-scientific usage), sec (in non-scientific usage only)
• (unit of angle): (abbreviations) arcsec, "

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĕʹkənd, IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/, /ˈsɛk.(ə)nt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkənd
• Hyphenation: sec‧ond

Noun

second (plural seconds)

1. A unit of time historically and commonly defined as a sixtieth of a minute which the International System of Units more precisely defines 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.
2. A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree.
3. (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

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō (“assist, make favorable”).

Pronunciation

Transfer temporarily

• enPR: səkŏnd', (UK) IPA^(key): /səˈkɒnd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /səˈkɑnd/
• Rhymes: (UK) -ɒnd, (General American) -ɑnd
• Hyphenation: sec‧ond

Assist, Agree

• enPR: sĕʹkənd, IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/, /ˈsɛk.(ə)nt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkənd
• Hyphenation: sec‧ond

Verb

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

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

   Synonym: detail
3. (transitive) To assist or support; to back.
4. (Should we move, merge or split⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (transitive) To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two. (This may come from etymology 1 above.)

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

Derived terms

• secondment
• secondee

Translations

Noun

second (plural seconds)

1. One who supports another in a contest or combat, such as a dueller's assistant.
2. One who supports or seconds a motion, or the act itself, as required in certain meetings to pass judgement etc.

3. (obsolete) Aid; assistance; help.

Translations

Further reading

second on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• arcsecond on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• second on Wikipedia.Wikipedia (time)
• second (parliamentary procedure) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• second-hand goods on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Second in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

References

• “second”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

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

French

Alternative forms

• 2^d, 2^e (abbreviation)

Etymology

Inherited from Old French secunt, second, segont, borrowed as a semi-learned term from Latin secundus (“second”); related to sequi (“follow”). Doublet of son (“bran”), which was inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sə.ɡɔ̃/, (with liaison) /sə.ɡɔ̃t‿/, (informal) /zɡɔ̃/

Adjective

second (feminine seconde, masculine plural seconds, feminine plural secondes)

1. second

   une seconde possibilité ― a second possibility, another possibility

Usage notes

For added "precision and elegance", the French Academy recommends using second when only two items are being considered, reserving deuxième for other situations, i.e. when more than two items are being considered; although this rule is not mandatory. The Academy however advises against ever replacing second with deuxième in fixed idioms such as de seconde main or seconde nature.

Synonyms

• (ordinal): deuxième

Derived terms

Related terms

• secondaire
• seconde

Noun

second m (plural seconds)

1. assistant, first mate

   Synonyms: adjoint, aide, assistant

Derived terms

• seconder

References

• “second”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• cédons, condés

Middle English

Adjective

second

1. Alternative form of secunde (“after the first”)

Noun

second

1. Alternative form of secunde (“after the first”)

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin secundus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /səˈkunt/

Adjective

second m (oblique and nominative feminine singular seconde)

1. second

Declension

Descendants

• Middle English: secunde
  • English: second
  • Scots: seicont
• French: second