second - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English numbers (edit)

| | 20 | | | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ----------------------------------- | | ← 1 | 2 | 3 → | | Cardinal: two Ordinal: second Abbreviated ordinal: 2nd Latinate ordinal: secondary Reverse order ordinal: second last, second to last, second from last, last but one Latinate reverse order ordinal: penultimate Adverbial: two times, twice Multiplier: twofold Latinate multiplier: double Distributive: doubly Germanic collective: pair, twosome Collective of n parts: doublet, couple, couplet Greek or Latinate collective: dyad Metric collective prefix: double- Greek collective prefix: di-, duo- Latinate collective prefix: bi- Fractional: half Metric fractional prefix: demi- Latinate fractional prefix: semi- Greek fractional prefix: hemi- Elemental: twin, doublet Greek prefix: deutero- Number of musicians: duo, duet, duplet Number of years: biennium | | |

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

second (not comparable)

  1. Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
    He lives on Second Street.
    The second volume in "The Lord of the Rings" series is called "The Two Towers".
    He became the second player to hit 50000 runs for his county.
    You take the first one, and I'll have the second.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:
      The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. […] The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared.
    • 2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN‎[2], archived from the original on 22 March 2022:
      Malay is the lingua franca of several Southeast Asia countries and has been simplified by its use as a second language by non-native speakers.
      For example, the Malay plural is formed by repeating a word twice – buku means book and buku-buku means books.
    • 2022, “2023 Laws of Chess”, in FIDE‎[3], archived from the original on 16 March 2025, page 21:
      Consequently, in the initial position the white pieces and pawns are placed on the first and second ranks; the black pieces and pawns on the eighth and seventh ranks.
  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.
    Residents of Texas prepared for Hurricane Harvey, which would in some ways turn out to become the second Hurricane Katrina.

second (numeral) — see also 2nd

that comes after the first

second (not comparable)

  1. (with superlative) After the first; at the second rank.
    Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system.
  2. After the first occurrence but before the third.
    He is batting second today.

at the second rank

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.
    They were discounted because they contained blemishes, nicks or were otherwise factory seconds.
  5. (usually in the plural) An additional helping of food.
    That was good barbecue. I hope I can get seconds.
  6. A chance or attempt to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around. (See second-guess.)
    • 2003, Sheila Ryan Wallace, The Sea Captain and His Ladies‎[4], page 22:
      The policeman smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Now if you'll follow me, I'll escort you to the Victoria."
      "Oh, there's no need of that. If you'll just point me in the right direction..."
      That's what got you in trouble the first time around. You don't need a second.
    • 2009, Paulette Jiles, Stormy Weather‎[5], page 37:
      Smoky Joe ran against a Houston horse named Cherokee Chief.
      “Don't hit him,” Jeanine said to the jockey. “Maybe once. But you don't get a second.”
    • 2011, Karen Miller, The Innocent Mage‎[6]:
      I'll have one chance to show them that's no longer true. One chance ... and if I stumble, I'll not get a second.
  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.
  1. A Cub Scout appointed to assist the sixer.
    Synonym: seconder
  1. (informal) A second-class honours degree.

number two in a series

one that is next in rank

place next below first in a race or contest

manufactured item that fails to meet quality control standards

music: interval between two adjacent notes

second gear

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.)
    I second the motion.
    • 2017, Critics Pick the TV Shows That Get Mental Health Right — IndieWire Survey‎[8]:
      Though seconding (or fifthing) the praise for “BoJack Horseman” and “In Treatment,” I think I’ll use the majority of my space to discuss “You’re the Worst.”
  2. To follow in the next place; to succeed.
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
      In the method of nature, a low valley is immediately seconded with an ambitious hill.
    • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
      Sin is usually seconded with sin.
  3. (climbing) To climb after a lead climber.

to follow in the next place

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)”).

second (plural seconds)

A light flashing approximately once per second

  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.
    Alternative forms: s (SI symbol), sec (non-SI symbol)
    Holonyms: decasecond < minute < hectosecond < kilosecond < hour < day < week < megasecond < fortnight < month < year < gigasecond < century < kiloannum, kiloyear, millennium < terasecond < mega-annum, megayear < petasecond < giga-annum, gigayear < exasecond < zettasecond < yottasecond < ronnasecond < quettasecond
    Meronyms: quectosecond < rontosecond < yoctosecond < zeptosecond < attosecond < femtosecond < picosecond < nanosecond < microsecond < millisecond < centisecond < decisecond
    • 2021 July 1, Gregory McNamee, “Does spinach make you strong? Ask Popeye – and science”, in CNN‎[9], archived from the original on 11 June 2025:
      For this reason, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that spinach be cooked at 160º for 15 seconds, which kills potentially fatal bacteria.
  2. A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a minute of arc or one part in 3600 of a degree.
    Synonyms: arcsecond, second of arc
  3. (informal) A short, indeterminate amount of time.
    Synonyms: instant, jiffy, sec; see also Thesaurus:moment
    I'll be there in a second.
    • 2020, L. William Zahner, “Corrosion Characteristics”, in Aluminum Surfaces: a Guide to Alloys, Finishes, Fabrication and Maintenance in Architecture and Art, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 287:
      Exposure of aluminum to the air causes a near instantaneous oxide. So rapid is the oxidation that it is safe to say you never see aluminum that has no oxide on its surface... The initial exposure of aluminum, regardless of alloy, will form a thin oxide film on the surface the second it is exposed.

one-sixtieth of a minute; SI unit of time

unit of angular measure

short, indeterminate amount of time

Translations to be checked

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

Transfer temporarily

Assist, Agree

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

  1. (transitive, UK) To transfer temporarily to alternative employment.
    Synonym: detail
    The army officer was seconded while he held civil office.
    • 1961 October, “Talking of Trains: Last of the M.S.W.J.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 585–586:
      Things changed quickly from 1892 when Sam Fay was seconded from the L.S.W.R. as General Manager & Secretary.
    • 1998, Paul Leonard, chapter 9, in Dreamstone Moon:
      Daniel had still been surprised, however, to find the lab area deserted, all the scientists apparently seconded by Cleomides's military friends.
    • 2026, Michael Falk, “Wikilambda the ultimate: the Wikimedia foundation’s search for the perfect language”, in AI & Society: Knowledge, Culture and Communication, →DOI:
      As The Signpost reported, all was not well with Wikilambda. Ten days prior to the article, a group of Google employees seconded to Abstract Wikipedia had released a damning report on Meta-Wiki, the site where projects of the Wikimedia Foundation are documented.
  2. (transitive) To assist or support; to back.
  3. (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.)
    I second the motion.
  4. (transitive, music) To accompany by singing as the second performer.

to temporarily transfer employment

to agree as a second person

second (plural seconds)

  1. One who supports another in a contest or combat, such as a dueller's assistant.
    • 1820, Pierce Egan, Sporting Anecdotes‎[10], page 414:
      The dogs however parted, and after a little handling by their seconds immediately returned to the charge
    • 1973, Frank Brady, Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy‎[11], page 201:
      They find ways to take advice from their seconds or they arrange the schedule against you as they did to me in the finals of the 1962 World Tournament
    • 1992, Mark W. Janis, International Courts for the Twenty-First Century‎[12], page 10:
      Vaguely reminiscent of the use of "seconds" among duelists, this provision required that the two hostile nations stop threatening each other and, instead, to let two appointed countries (their "seconds") try and solve their difficulties
    • 2009, David Brakke, Demons and the Making of the Monk: Spiritual Combat in Early ...‎[13]:
      Theodore's practice is described as a model for the housemasters and their seconds
  2. One who supports or seconds a motion, or the act itself, as required in certain meetings to pass judgement etc.
    If we want the motion to pass, we will need a second.
  3. (obsolete) Aid; assistance; help.
    • 1608, J. Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess:
      Give second, and my love / Is everlasting thine.

attendant of a duel or boxing match standing in for a contestant

one who agrees in addition

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.

French numbers (edit)

| | 20 | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | ----------------------------------------------- | | ← 1 | 2 | 3 → | | Cardinal: deux Ordinal: deuxième, second Ordinal abbreviation: 2e, 2d, (nonstandard) 2ème, (nonstandard) 2nd Multiplier: double Fractional: demi, moitié | | | | French Wikipedia article on 2 | | |

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

  1. second
    la Seconde Guerre mondiale ― Second World War
    une seconde possibilité ― a second possibility, another possibility
    • 1863, Théophile Gautier, Le Capitain Fracasse:
      « Chiquita! Chiquita! » À la seconde appellation, une fillette maigre et hâve […] s'avança vers Agostin.
      "Chiquita! Chiquita!" At the second call, a thin and emaciated little girl […] came up to Agostin

For added “precision and elegance”, the French Academy says it's possible to use second when only two items are being considered, reserving deuxième for other situations, i.e. when more than two items are being considered;[1] although this rule is not mandatory.[1] The Academy however advises against ever replacing second with deuxième in fixed idioms such as de seconde main or seconde nature.[1]

second m (plural seconds)

  1. assistant, first mate
    Synonyms: adjoint, aide, assistant
    • 1874, Gobineau, Pléiades:
      Je m'attachai aux pas de miss Harriet et lui servis de second dans le classement du linge.
      I followed Miss Harriet and assisted her in sorting the linen.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 “Second / Deuxième”, in Académie française‎[1] (in French), 5 January 2012

second

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

second

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

Borrowed from Latin secundus.

second m (oblique and nominative feminine singular seconde)

  1. second

Scots numbers (edit)

← 1 2 3 →
Cardinal: twa Ordinal: second

From Middle English secunde, second, secound, secund, borrowed from Old French second, seond, from Latin secundus (“following, next in order”), from root of sequor (“to follow”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to follow”).

second

  1. second