# second

Pronunciation: say "SEK-uhnd" US /ˈsɛk.(ə)nd/, UK /ˈsɛkənd/

## Adjective

1. Coming immediately after the first in order, or next after the first in rank, value or importance.
   - Simple: Coming just after the first in order, or next after the first in how important it is.
   - _She lives on the second floor of the apartment building._
   - _The second chapter explains how the experiment was set up._
3. Being another of the same kind as one that came before.
   - Simple: Another one of the same kind as before.
   - _The mayor announced a second round of funding for local schools._
   - _They opened a second branch after the first one thrived._

## Noun

2. A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a minute, serving as the base unit for measuring duration.
   - Simple: A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a minute.
   - _The stopwatch timed her sprint to the hundredth of a second._
   - _The instrument records temperature data every few seconds._
4. A brief, unspecified amount of time. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A very short amount of time.
   - _Hang on a second while I grab my coat._
   - _It only took a second for everything to change._
6. The person or thing that comes second in a series, or second place in a race or contest.
   - Simple: The one that comes after the first, for example in a list or a race.
   - _Among the five films, the second drew the largest audience._
   - _The first sample was clean, but the second showed contamination._
7. A renewed attempt to accomplish what should have been done the first time, often succeeding this time around.
   - Simple: A new try at doing something correctly after the first attempt.
9. An additional helping of food taken after the first serving.
   - Simple: An extra serving of food taken after your first one.
   - _She offered him seconds before clearing the table._
   - _The soup was so good that everyone had seconds._
10. In baseball, second base: the base a runner reaches after first and before third while circling the diamond.
   - Simple: In baseball, the base a runner reaches after first base and before third.
   - _The runner dove back into second to beat the pickoff attempt._
   - _With a fast runner on second, the coach called for a bunt._
11. The person or thing next in rank, quality, or authority below the first.
   - Simple: The person or thing that ranks just below the top in rank or power.
   - _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._
12. The gear one step above the lowest in a vehicle's gearbox, used for low speeds and climbing hills.
   - Simple: On a car or bike, the gear just above the lowest one, used for slow speeds.
   - _She shifted into second as the hill got steeper._
   - _The truck struggled to pull away in second on the icy slope._
13. A manufactured item that still works but is sold at a discount for failing to meet quality standards.
   - Simple: A product with small flaws, sold cheaply because it didn't pass quality checks.
   - _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._
14. In 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.
   - Simple: In a meeting, the person who backs a motion so it can be voted on, or the act of backing it.
   - _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._
15. A 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.
   - Simple: Someone who helps a fighter, such as a boxer's helper or a person who helped arrange a duel.
   - _His second loaded the pistols and paced out the distance._
   - _The boxer's second wiped his face and gave him water between rounds._
16. In 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.
   - Simple: In music, the gap between two notes with neighboring letter names, such as C and D.
   - _The melody opens with a rising second._
   - _Singing a minor second against the held note created sharp tension._
17. A unit of angular measure equal to 1/60 of an arcminute, or 1/3,600 of a degree.
   - Simple: A tiny unit for measuring angles, equal to one part in 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._
20. At a British university, a second-class honors degree: the class ranking below first-class. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: At a British university, the second-highest class of degree result.
   - _She graduated with a second from Manchester._
   - _He was disappointed to scrape a second rather than a first._
22. In Cub Scouting, a Cub appointed to assist the sixer, the young leader of a small group known as a six.
   - Simple: In Cub Scouts, the helper chosen to support the leader of a small group called 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._

## Adverb

5. In the position after the first, in order, rank, or time; also, as the second point in a list (secondly).
   - Simple: After the first one, in order or in a contest, or as your second point.
   - _Their entry placed second among more than forty submissions._
   - _He ranked second on the leaderboard going into the final round._

## Verb

8. To 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.
   - Simple: To say officially at a meeting that you support someone's idea, so that it can be voted on.
   - _I second the motion to adjourn until tomorrow._
   - _A board member quickly seconded the proposal before discussion began._
18. To transfer an employee temporarily to a different post, team, or organization. *(UK)* (pronounced: say "suh-KOND" US /səˈkɑnd/, UK /səˈkɒnd/)
   - Simple: To move a worker to another job or team for a short time.
   - _The firm decided to second her to its Paris office for a year._
   - _They plan to second two engineers to the new joint project._
19. To assist or support someone, or to back their cause.
   - Simple: To give help or support to someone or their effort.
21. To accompany a lead singer by performing the second vocal part.
   - Simple: To sing along with a main singer, taking the second part.

## Noun

23. Aid, assistance, or support of any kind given to another person. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Help or support given to someone in need.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To follow in the next position, coming immediately after something else in a sequence.
- (verb) In rock climbing, to climb a route after the lead climber, typically while protected by the rope from above.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3, 5–7, 9–13, 16, 20, 22** — 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.
**Meanings 2, 4, 17** — 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.
**Meanings 8, 14–15, 18–19, 21, 23** — From Middle French seconder, from Latin secundō ("assist, make favorable").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/second (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).