second
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Meanings of second revolve around either of two ideas: one is next after the first, which gives mainly adjectival uses; the other is short time, from the use of second to denote a 60th of a minute, which has mainly noun uses.
Each of these has spun off other parts of speech, so a second can be someone or something in second position, and to second something means lending give support or encouragement to the idea presented by another.
In British English, to second someone (accent on second syllable) is to reassign them temporarily to another duty.
Position number one
- thirdPosition number three
- fourthOrdinal for position four
- fifthFive's place in sequence
- sixthPosition number six
seventh · eighth · ninth · tenth · runner-up · silver · place · rank
Interval timing device
- timerDuration-tracking mechanism
- tickParasitic eight-legged pest
- instantBriefest unit of time
- momentBrief period of time
chronometer · interval · duration · timing · countdown · elapsed · precision · hundredth
Stored duplicate for recovery
- assistantOne who aids another
- aideSupporting staff member
- deputyAuthorized substitute or assistant
- reinforcementAdding support or encouragement
understudy · stand-in · substitute · reserve · helper · right-hand · wingman · attendant
Duration between two points
- minorScale with lowered third
- majorOf chief importance
- augmentedIncreased in size/value
- diminishedMade or became smaller
harmony · dissonance · step · half-step · chromatic · melodic · harmonic · ascending
Single portion given
- portionDivided share given
- servingMeasured food portion
- encoreAudience-demanded extra performance
- anotherOne more of something
refill · more · additional · round · go-around
Test of ability
- pistolsSmall one-handed firearms
- dawnDay's first glow
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- affairRomantic entanglement outside commitment
witness · formality · confrontation · satisfaction · champion · representative
first
Position number one
sixth · seventh · eighth · ninth · tenth · runner-up · silver · place · rank · position
stopwatch
Interval timing device
moment · chronometer · interval · duration · timing · countdown · elapsed · precision · hundredth · fractional
backup
Stored duplicate for recovery
reinforcement · understudy · stand-in · substitute · reserve · helper · right-hand · wingman · attendant · supporter
interval
Duration between two points
diminished · harmony · dissonance · step · half-step · chromatic · melodic · harmonic · ascending · descending
helping
Single portion given
challenge
Test of ability
affair · witness · formality · confrontation · satisfaction · champion · representative
- just a secondRequest for brief patience
- one secondMomentary delay request
- second thoughtsDoubts after deciding
- second chanceRenewed opportunity after failure
- split secondInfinitesimal unit of time
- second natureDeeply ingrained tendency
secondary, secondhand, seconds, secondly, second helpings, second wave, second-rate, seconded, second thoughts