second
Noun pluralseconds
Pluralseconds
Formsseconds, seconding, seconded
- 1Coming immediately after the first in order, or next after the first in rank, value or importance.
She lives on the second floor of the apartment building.
The second chapter explains how the experiment was set up.
UsageUsually the second: the second chapter. Every second day means every other day.
- 2A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a minute, serving as the base unit for measuring duration.
The stopwatch timed her sprint to the hundredth of a second.
The instrument records temperature data every few seconds.
UsageCommon phrases: a split second, a fraction of a second, metres per second.
Note
The name is a leftover from a Medieval Latin phrase, secunda pars minuta, the "second diminished part" of the hour. Dividing the hour by sixty gave the minute, and dividing again gave the second. The International System of Units now ties it to the caesium-133 atom. It anchors a ladder of units running from yoctosecond and nanosecond up to kilosecond and beyond.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- The time-unit name derives from Medieval Latin secunda pars minuta, meaning the second diminished part of the hour. en.wiktionary.org
- The minute and second represent successive divisions of the hour into sixty parts. nist.gov
- The SI definition of the second is tied to the caesium-133 atom. bipm.org
- SI prefixes produce smaller and larger units based on the second, including yoctoseconds, nanoseconds and kiloseconds. bipm.org
- 3Being another of the same kind as one that came before.
The mayor announced a second round of funding for local schools.
They opened a second branch after the first one thrived.
UsageOften used with a: a second chance, a second branch. Before a famous name: a second Daniel.
Similaradditional, further, extra, new
Note
Paired with a famous name, it announces a successor: a second Daniel, a second Katrina. In Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, "a second Daniel" hails a judge as wise as the biblical one. A storm called "the second Hurricane Katrina" carries dread instead. The phrase means "a new one of the same kind," and its tone comes entirely from the original being named.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- The Merchant of Venice is a work by William Shakespeare. folger.edu
- In The Merchant of Venice, "a second Daniel" praises a judge's wisdom. folger.edu
- The comparison invokes the biblical Daniel's wisdom in judgment. vatican.va
- 4
- 5In the position after the first, in order, rank, or time; also, as the second point in a list (secondly).
Their entry placed second among more than forty submissions.
He ranked second on the leaderboard going into the final round.
UsageBefore superlatives: the second largest, the second most common. Also come second, finish second.
- 6The person or thing that comes second in a series, or second place in a race or contest.
Among the five films, the second drew the largest audience.
The first sample was clean, but the second showed contamination.
- 7A renewed attempt to accomplish what should have been done the first time, often succeeding this time around.
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.
2011, Karen Miller, The Innocent MageSmoky 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.”
2009, Paulette Jiles, Stormy WeatherUsageOften in the negative, with chance understood: you don't get a second. The full phrase is second chance.
Note
Karen Miller's The Innocent Mage uses it as a warning that the first try is the only one. Compare second-guess, which looks back at a choice rather than forward to a retry.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Karen Miller wrote The Innocent Mage. littlebrown.co.uk
- The novel uses “a second” to mean another chance, in a warning that failure will leave no further attempt. en.wiktionary.org
Less common meanings
- 8To formally support another person's proposal or motion at a meeting, usually so that it has the two backers needed before it can be discussed or voted on.
I second the motion to adjourn until tomorrow.
A board member quickly seconded the proposal before discussion began.
UsageSet phrases: second a motion, second a proposal. I'll second that can also simply mean I agree.
Oppositeoppose
- 9An additional helping of food taken after the first serving.
She offered him seconds before clearing the table.
The soup was so good that everyone had seconds.
UsageHave seconds, ask for seconds, even for one extra plate.
- 10In baseball, second base: the base a runner reaches after first and before third while circling the diamond.
The runner dove back into second to beat the pickoff attempt.
With a fast runner on second, the coach called for a bunt.
UsageNo article: steal second, on second, slide into second.
Note
The base sits between first and third on the diamond, and a runner must touch it in order on the way home. In the field, it is covered jointly by the second baseman and the shortstop.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Second base comes between first and third in the runner's route, and runners must touch the bases in order toward home. img.mlbstatic.com
- The second baseman and shortstop share responsibility for covering second base. en.wikipedia.org
- 11The person or thing next in rank, quality, or authority below the first.
The CEO's trusted second handles most of the company's day-to-day decisions.
When the director resigned, her second stepped in to lead.
UsageRelated set phrase: second in command.
Similardeputy, lieutenant, assistant, subordinate
- 12The gear one step above the lowest in a vehicle's gearbox, used for low speeds and climbing hills.
She shifted into second as the hill got steeper.
The truck struggled to pull away in second on the icy slope.
UsageNo article: in second, shift into second.
- 13A manufactured item that still works but is sold at a discount for failing to meet quality standards.
She bought a set of plates as seconds and saved a fortune.
Each second is marked with a small sticker before it reaches the sale rack.
UsageMostly factory seconds or sold as seconds.
Note
The flaw is usually on the surface, such as blemishes or nicks, and the item still does its job. That is why seconds are discounted rather than thrown away.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Factory seconds generally have cosmetic flaws while remaining functional. en.wikipedia.org
- Minor manufacturing faults lead to discounted sale rather than disposal. shoebank.com
- 14In formal meetings, a person who supports a proposed motion, or the act of giving such support, often required before the motion can be debated or voted on.
The motion needed a second before the committee could vote.
The chair asked for a second, and a member at the back raised her hand.
UsageCommon frames: the motion needs a second; the chair asks for a second.
- 15A person who assists and supports another in a fight or contest, such as a boxer's attendant or, in a duel, the person who arranged the terms and attended the fighter.
His second loaded the pistols and paced out the distance.
The boxer's second wiped his face and gave him water between rounds.
Similarattendant, assistant, helper, aide
Note
The supporter's role spread well beyond the dueling ground. Pierce Egan's Sporting Anecdotes gives fighting dogs their seconds. Frank Brady's Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy has chess players taking advice from theirs. International Courts for the Twenty-First Century (1992), edited by Mark W. Janis, borrows the word for nations appointed to settle a quarrel. What stays constant is the helper at a principal's side, never the principal.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- Pierce Egan's Sporting Anecdotes uses seconds for attendants handling fighting dogs. en.wiktionary.org
- Frank Brady's Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy mentions chess players receiving advice from seconds. en.wiktionary.org
- International Courts for the Twenty-First Century calls countries appointed to resolve other nations' differences seconds. en.wiktionary.org
- Mark W. Janis is associated with the cited volume. legal.un.org
- 16In music, the interval between two notes that lie next to each other in a diatonic scale, either of which may be raised or lowered by an accidental.
The melody opens with a rising second.
Singing a minor second against the held note created sharp tension.
Note
A music theorist's name for the smallest step between letter names, such as C to D or E to F. Either note may carry a sharp or flat, so one name covers seconds of different sizes: minor, major or augmented. The minor second is the sharpest clash of the set. Do not confuse it with the singing verb, which is about a second voice, not a distance between notes.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- A second spans adjacent letter names, such as C–D or E–F. openmusictheory.github.io
- Sharps or flats can alter either note without changing the interval's generic name; seconds include minor, major and augmented forms. openmusictheory.github.io
- The minor second produces the sharpest clash among the listed seconds. acousticslab.org
- The musical verb 'second' means to sing a second part to another voice, distinct from the interval. wordnik.com
- 17A unit of angular measure equal to 1/60 of an arcminute, or 1/3,600 of a degree.
The instrument is accurate to within a single second of arc.
At that distance, the planet's disk spans only a few seconds of arc.
UsageOften written arcsecond or second of arc to avoid confusion with time.
Similararcsecond
Note
The same sixtieth of a sixtieth, applied to a circle instead of an hour: degrees split into minutes of arc, and minutes into seconds. The Latin naming story told at the unit of time covers this unit too.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- An angular second is 1/60 of an arcminute and 1/3,600 of a degree. astronomy.swin.edu.au
- The analogous subdivision of an hour is into sixty minutes, each containing sixty seconds. en.wikipedia.org
- The angular and temporal units share the Latin naming explanation involving a second subdivision. tf.nist.gov
- 18Saysuh-KONDUS/səˈkɑnd/UK/səˈkɒnd/To transfer an employee temporarily to a different post, team, or organization.
The firm decided to second her to its Paris office for a year.
They plan to second two engineers to the new joint project.
UsageUsually passive: seconded to the Paris office, seconded from one body to another. Stressed on the last syllable.
Similardetail
Note
Trains Illustrated (1961) recalls Sam Fay being seconded from the L.S.W.R. in 1892. The word implies a loan rather than a permanent move, because the person is expected to return.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Trains Illustrated published the recollection in 1961, describing Sam Fay's secondment from the L.S.W.R. in 1892. en.wiktionary.org
- A secondment is temporary, with an expectation that the employee will return. bbk.ac.uk
- 19To assist or support someone, or to back their cause.
In human works, tho’ labour’d 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.
1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man.Similarsupport, back, assist, help, aid
Note
This verb reached English by a separate route from the counting word: through Middle French seconder from Latin secundō, "assist, make favorable." In Shakespeare's Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Hastings has supplies in reserve "to second our attempt." Pope's Essay on Man (1733) uses it of one thing serving another's purpose. Today it survives mainly in seconding a motion and in I'd second that.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- The supporting verb entered English separately from the counting word, through Middle French seconder from Latin secundō, meaning 'assist, make favorable.' en.wiktionary.org
- Shakespeare's Second Part of Henry the Fourth contains 'to second our attempt.' folger.edu
- Hastings says, 'We have supplies to second our attempt'; he refers to available reinforcements, without describing their arrival. folger.edu
- Alexander Pope's Essay on Man uses second in 1733 of something serving another purpose. readingroo.ms
- 20At a British university, a second-class honors degree: the class ranking below first-class.
She graduated with a second from Manchester.
He was disappointed to scrape a second rather than a first.
UsagePeople get or scrape a second, set against a first.
Note
William H. Cropper's Great Physicists (2001) tells of Stephen Hawking saying he would go to Cambridge for a first and stay at Oxford for a second. He got a first.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- William H. Cropper wrote Great Physicists, first published in 2001. openlibrary.org
- Cropper's book recounts Hawking's statement that he would go to Cambridge with a first and remain at Oxford with a second. en.wiktionary.org
- Hawking said that receiving a second would mean staying at Oxford. hawking.org.uk
- Hawking received a first-class degree. hawking.org.uk
- 21To accompany a lead singer by performing the second vocal part.
Similaraccompany
Note
A musician's verb for the supporting voice. To second a singer is to take the second part beside the lead, typically a harmony line rather than the tune itself. It shares its origin with the verb of support, so the idea is backing someone up, not counting.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- To second a singer means to accompany them by singing the second part. en.wiktionary.org
- The musical verb shares its origin with the verb meaning to support someone. en.wiktionary.org
- 22In Cub Scouting, a Cub appointed to assist the sixer, the young leader of a small group known as a six.
As second, she helped the sixer keep the group in order during the hike.
The pack leader named him second of the Red Six.
Note
A rank inside the Cub Scout six, the small group led by a sixer, where the second acts as the sixer's deputy. The Cub Book of the Boy Scouts of Canada (1995) describes sixers, and sometimes seconds, meeting in a sixer's council. Seconder is an alternative name, useful wherever second on its own might be ambiguous.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- A six is a small Cub group led by a sixer and assisted by a second. isf-world.org
- The Cub Book is attributed to the Boy Scouts of Canada and contains the described council passage. en.wiktionary.org
- Seconder is an alternative name for the sixer's deputy. en.wikipedia.org
- 23Aid, assistance, or support of any kind given to another person.
Give second, and my love / Is everlasting thine.
1608, J. Fletcher, The Faithful ShepherdessNote
Help as a plain mass noun, now obsolete. J. Fletcher's The Faithful Shepherdess (1609) has "Give second, and my love / Is everlasting thine." Modern English keeps the verb, the person who helps, as in a fighter's attendant, and the backing of a motion. Use this sense only when quoting or imitating early modern verse. Anywhere else, readers will take it for the number.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 6 facts
- Second formerly meant help or assistance as a mass noun. en.wiktionary.org
- John Fletcher wrote The Faithful Shepherdess. emed.folger.edu
- The first edition is undated; its publication is generally assigned to 1609–10. gutenberg.org
- The play contains the quoted words; the speaker is Amarillis, addressing the Sullen Shepherd. en.wikisource.org
- The quotation's wording is correct. emed.folger.edu
- The noun also denotes the act of formally supporting a motion. en.wiktionary.org
- 24To follow in the next position, coming immediately after something else in a sequence.
Sin is usually seconded with sin.
1692, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions - 25In rock climbing, to climb a route after the lead climber, typically while protected by the rope from above.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of second apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origins
From Middle English second, borrowed from Old French second, from Latin secundus ("following, next in order"), which comes from the root of sequor ("I follow") and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ("to follow"). It replaced the native word other in this sense.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- English second comes from Middle English second, borrowed from Old French second, from Latin secundus meaning following or next in order. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin secundus comes from the root of sequor. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin sequor means I follow. en.wiktionary.org
- The ultimate root is Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-, meaning to follow. en.wiktionary.org
- Second replaced native other as the ordinary ordinal word. en.wikipedia.org
Medieval Latin secunda, short for the phrase secunda pars minuta, literally the "second diminished part" of the hour, passed into Old French as seconde, and Middle English borrowed it from there as seconde.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Medieval Latin secunda was short for secunda pars minuta. en.wiktionary.org
- The phrase literally means the second diminished part of the hour. en.wikipedia.org
- Old French seconde derives from Medieval Latin secunda, and Middle English borrowed it as seconde. en.wiktionary.org
From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō ("assist, make favorable").
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- English second derives from Middle French seconder, ultimately from Latin secundō. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin secundō means “assist, make favorable”. en.wiktionary.org