Collins English-English Dictionary

second ['sεkənd]

1. 1. n [Brit] [education] an honours degree of the second class, usually further divided into an upper and lower designation second-class honours degree

2. 2. adj [usually prenominal] coming directly after the first in numbering or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of two: often written 2nd

3. 3. adj (as noun)

   the second in line

4. 4. adj rated, graded, or ranked between the first and third levels

5. 5. adj alternate

   every second Thursday

6. 6. adj additional; extra

   a second opportunity

7. 7. adj resembling a person or event from an earlier period of history; unoriginal

   a second Wagner

8. 8. adj of lower quality; inferior

   belonging to the second class

9. 9. adj denoting the lowest but one forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

10. 10. adj [music] relating to or denoting a musical part, voice, or instrument lower in pitch than another part, voice, or instrument (the first)

    the second tenors

11. 11. adj of or relating to a part, instrument, or instrumentalist regarded as subordinate to another (the first)

    the second flute

12. 12. n the lowest but one forward ratio of a gearbox in a motor vehicle

    he changed into second on the bend

13. 13. n (in boxing, duelling, etc) an attendant who looks after a competitor

14. 14. adv secondly in the second place

15. 15. n a speech seconding a motion or the person making it

16. 16. sentence connector secondly as the second point: linking what follows with the previous statement

17. 17. n [music] the interval between one note and another lying next above or below it in the diatonic scale

18. 18. n one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other - See also minor major interval

19. 19. n [plural] goods of inferior quality

20. 20. n [plural] [informal] a second helping of food

21. 21. n [plural] the second course of a meal

22. 22. vt. [tr] to give aid or backing to

23. 23. vt. (in boxing, etc) to act as second to (a competitor)

24. 24. vt. to make a speech or otherwise express formal support for (a motion already proposed)

25. 25. sentence connector [Etymology] C13: via Old French from Latin secundus coming next in order, from sequi to follow

second ['sεkənd]

1. 1. n the basic SI unit of time: the duration of 9192631770 periods of radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state of caesium-133 s

2. 2. n 1/60 of a minute of time

3. 3. n 1/60 of a minute of angle

4. 4. n a very short period of time; moment

5. 5. n [Etymology] C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin pars minuta secunda the second small part (a minute being the first small part of an hour); see second¹

second [sɪ'kɑnd]

1. 1. vt. [tr] [Brit] to transfer (an employee) temporarily to another branch, etc

2. 2. vt. [military] to transfer (an officer) to another post, often retiring him to a staff or nonregimental position

3. 3. vt. [Etymology] C19: from French en second in second rank (or position)