Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. second, sec, s(noun)

   1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

2. moment, mo, minute, second, bit(noun)

   an indefinitely short time

   "wait just a moment"; "in a mo"; "it only takes a minute"; "in just a bit"

3. second base, second(noun)

   the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed near the second of the bases in the infield

4. moment, minute, second, instant(noun)

   a particular point in time

   "the moment he arrived the party began"

5. second(noun)

   following the first in an ordering or series

   "he came in a close second"

6. second, arcsecond(noun)

   a 60th part of a minute of arc

   "the treasure is 2 minutes and 45 seconds south of here"

7. second(noun)

   the official attendant of a contestant in a duel or boxing match

8. second, secondment, endorsement, indorsement(noun)

   a speech seconding a motion

   "do I hear a second?"

9. second gear, second(noun)

   the gear that has the second lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle

   "he had to shift down into second to make the hill"

10. irregular, second(adj)

    merchandise that has imperfections; usually sold at a reduced price without the brand name

11. second, 2nd, 2d(adj)

    coming next after the first in position in space or time or degree or magnitude

12. second(verb)

    a part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first

    "second flute"; "the second violins"

13. second, back, endorse, indorse(verb)

    give support or one's approval to

    "I'll second that motion"; "I can't back this plan"; "endorse a new project"

14. second(adverb)

    transfer an employee to a different, temporary assignment

    "The officer was seconded for duty overseas"

15. second, secondly(adverb)

    in the second place

    "second, we must consider the economy"

GCIDE(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Second(n.)

   (Parliamentary Procedure) A motion in support of another motion which has been moved in a deliberative body; a motion without a second dies without discussion.

Origin: [F. seconde. See Second, a.]

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Second(adj)

   immediately following the first; next to the first in order of place or time; hence, occuring again; another; other

2. Second(adj)

   next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior

3. Second(adj)

   being of the same kind as another that has preceded; another, like a protype; as, a second Cato; a second Troy; a second deluge

4. Second(noun)

   one who, or that which, follows, or comes after; one next and inferior in place, time, rank, importance, excellence, or power

5. Second(noun)

   one who follows or attends another for his support and aid; a backer; an assistant; specifically, one who acts as another's aid in a duel

6. Second(noun)

   aid; assistance; help

7. Second(noun)

   an article of merchandise of a grade inferior to the best; esp., a coarse or inferior kind of flour

8. Second(adj)

   the sixtieth part of a minute of time or of a minute of space, that is, the second regular subdivision of the degree; as, sound moves about 1,140 English feet in a second; five minutes and ten seconds north of this place

9. Second(adj)

   in the duodecimal system of mensuration, the twelfth part of an inch or prime; a line. See Inch, and Prime, n., 8

10. Second(noun)

    the interval between any tone and the tone which is represented on the degree of the staff next above it

11. Second(noun)

    the second part in a concerted piece; -- often popularly applied to the alto

12. Second(adj)

    to follow in the next place; to succeed; to alternate

13. Second(adj)

    to follow or attend for the purpose of assisting; to support; to back; to act as the second of; to assist; to forward; to encourage

14. Second(adj)

    specifically, to support, as a motion or proposal, by adding one's voice to that of the mover or proposer

Origin: [F., fr. L. secundus second, properly, following, fr. sequi to follow. See Sue to follow, and cf. Secund.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Second

   The second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units and is also a unit of time in other systems of measurement it is the second division of the hour by sixty, the first division by 60 being the minute. Between 1000 and 1960 the second was defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day. Between 1960 and 1967, it was defined in terms of the period of the Earth's orbit around the Sun in 1900, but it is now defined more precisely in atomic terms. Seconds may be measured using mechanical, electric or atomic clocks. Astronomical observations of the 19th and 20th centuries revealed that the mean solar day is slowly but measurably lengthening and the length of a tropical year is not entirely predictable either; thus the sun–earth motion is no longer considered a suitable basis for definition. With the advent of atomic clocks, it became feasible to define the second based on fundamental properties of nature. Since 1967, the second has been defined to be: SI prefixes are frequently combined with the word second to denote subdivisions of the second, e.g., the millisecond, the microsecond, and the nanosecond. Though SI prefixes may also be used to form multiples of the second such as kilosecond, such units are rarely used in practice. The more common larger non-SI units of time are not formed by powers of ten; instead, the second is multiplied by 60 to form a minute, which is multiplied by 60 to form an hour, which is multiplied by 24 to form a day.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Second

   sek′und, adj. immediately following the first: the ordinal of two: next in position: inferior: other: another: favourable.—n. one who, or that which, follows or is second: one who attends another in a duel or a prize-fight: a supporter: the 60th part of a minute of time, or of a degree.—v.t. to follow: to act as second: to assist: to encourage: to support the mover of a question or resolution: (mus.) to sing second to: to put into temporary retirement in the army, as an officer when holding civil office (usually sēcond′).—n. Sec′ond-ad′ventist, one who lives in expectation of a second coming of Christ to establish a personal kingdom on earth, a premillenarian.—adv. Sec′ondarily, in a secondary manner or degree: (B.) secondly.—n. Sec′ondariness.—adj. Sec′ondary, following or coming after the first: second in position: inferior: subordinate: deputed.—n. a subordinate: a delegate or deputy.—adjs. Sec′ond-best, next to the best: best except one—(Come off second-best, to get the worst of a contest); Sec′ond-class, inferior to the first, as a second-class carriage.—ns. Sec′onder, one who seconds or supports; Sec′ond-flour, flour of a coarser quality, seconds.—adj. Sec′ond-hand, received as it were from the hand of a second person: not new: that has been used by another.—n. a hand for marking seconds on a clock or watch.—adv. Sec′ondly, in the second place.—ns. Sec′ond-mark, the character ″ as the mark in mathematics for a second of arc, in architecture for inches, and as a sign for a second of time; Secon′do, the lower part in a duet.—adj. Sec′ond-rate, being second in power, size, rank, quality, or value.—ns. Sec′ond-sight (see Sight); Sec′onds-pen′dulum, a pendulum which makes one oscillation per second of mean time.—Secondary education, that which is higher than primary or elementary; Secondary formation, rocks, strata, the Mesozoic strata; Secondary planet, a moon or satellite; Secondary school, a school for higher education; Second childhood, a condition of mental weakness often accompanying old age; Second coming, the second coming of Christ, or Second Advent; Second cousin, the child of a cousin; Second estate, the House of Lords; Second guard, an additional guard to a sword; Second story, in America, the second range of rooms from the first level, called in England the first floor; Second thoughts, reconsideration. [Fr.,—L. secundus—sequi, secutus, to follow.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. second

   A unit of time with a specific and known value used for a variety of purposes.

   A second has a specific and known value and is used to denote the passage of time on planet Earth e.g. used in a clock, computer, meter, devices etc.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'second' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #228

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'second' in Written Corpus Frequency: #418

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'second' in Nouns Frequency: #459

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of second in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of second in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Sample Sentences & Example Usage

1. Stephen Kovacevich:

   The second one is wild.

2. Aristotle:

   A friend is a second self.

3. Nick Terry:

   Do not accept second best.

4. Ohio Gov. John Kasich:

   I think we're running second.

5. Tom Brady:

   Call me when you get a second.

Images & Illustrations of second

Popularity rank by frequency of use