King James Bible Dictionary

SEC'OND, adjective [L. secundus; L. sequor, to follow. See Seek.]

1. That immediately follows the first; the mext following the first in order of place or time; the ordinal of two. Take the second book from the shelf. Enter the second house.

And he slept and dreamed the second time. Gen. 41.

2. Next in value, power, excellence, dignity or rank; inferior. The silks of China are second to none. Lord Chatham was second to none in eloquence. Dr. Johnson was second to none in itellecual powers, but second to many in research and erudition.

Second terms, in algebra, those where the unknown quantity has a degree of power less than it has in the term where it is raised to the highest.

At second-hand, in the sicond place of order; not in first place, orby or from the first; by transmission; not primarily; not originally; as a report received at second hand.

In imitation of preachers at second hand, I shall transcribe from Bruyere a piece of raillery. Tatler.

SEC'OND, noun

1. One who attends another in a duel, to aid him, mark out the ground or destance, and see that all proceedings between the parties are fair.

2. One that supports or maintains another; that which supports

Being sure enough of seconds after the first onset. Wotton.

3. The sixtieth part of a minute or of a degree, that is, the second minute or small division next to the hour. Sound moves above 1140 English feet in a second.

4. In music, an interval of a conjoint degree, being the difference between any sound and the next nearest sound above ar below it.

SEC'OND, verb transitive [L. secundo.]

1. To follow in the next place.

Sin is seconded with sin. [Little used.] South.

2. To support; to lend aid to the attempt of another; to assist' to forward; to promote; to encourage; to act as the maintainer.

We have supplies to second our attempt. Shak.

The attempts of Austria to circumscribe the conquests of Buonaparte, were seconded by Russia. Anon.

In God's, one single can its end produce,

Yet serves second too some other use. Pope.

3. In legislation, to support, as a motion or the mover. We say, to second a motion or proposition, or to second the mover.

General references
Revelation 20:14
Wicked, Punishment of

SEC'ONDARILY, adv. [from secondary.] In second degree or second order; not primarily or originally; not the first intention. Duties on imports serve primarily to raise a revenue, and secondarily to encourage domestic manufactures and industry.

SEC'ONDARINESS, noun. The state of being secondary.

SEC'ONDARY, adjective. [L. secundarius, from secundus.]

1. Succeeding next in order to the first; subordinate.

Where there is moral right on the one hand, not secondary right can discharge it.

L' Estrange.

2. Not primary; not of the first intention.

Two are racial differences; the secondary differences are as four. Bacon.

3. Not of the first order or rate; revolving about a primary planet. Primary planets revolve about the sun; secondary planets revolve about the primary.

4. Acting by deputation or delegated authority; as the work of secondary hands.

5. Acting in subordination, or second to another; as a secondary officer.

Secondary rocks, in geology, are those which were formed after the primary. they are always situated over or above the primitive and transition rocks; they abound with organic remains or petrifications, and are supposed to be mechanical deposits from water. Cleaveland.

A secondary fever, is that which arises after a crisis, or the discharge of some morbid matter, as after the declension of the small pox or measles. Quincy.

Secondary circles, or secondaries, in astronomy, circles passing through the poles of any of the great circles of the sphere, perpendicular to the planes of those circles.

Secondary qualities, are the qualities of bodies which are not inseparable from them, but which is proceed from casual circumstances, such as color, taste, odor, etc.

Secondary formations, in geology, formations of substances, subsequent to the primitive.

SEC'ONDARY, noun.

1. A delegate or deputy; one who acts in subordination to another; as the secondaries of the court of king's bench and common pleas.

2. A fether growing on the second bone of a fowl's wing.

SEC'ONDED, participle passive Supported; aided.

SEC'ONDER, noun One that supported what another attempts, or what he affirms, or hat he moves or proposes; as the seconder of an enterprise or of a motion.

SEC'OND-HAND, noun. Possession received from the first possessor.

SEC'OND-HAND, adjective.

1. Not original or primary; received from another.

The have but a second-hand or implicit knowledge. Locke.

2. Not new; that has been used by another; as a second-hand book.

SEC'ONDLY, adv. In the second place.

SEC'OND-RATE, noun. [second and rate.] The second order in size, dignity, or value.

They call it thunder of the second-rate. Addison.

So we say, a ship of the second-rate.

SEC'OND-RATE, adjective. Of the second size, rank, quality or value; as a second-rate ship; a second-rate cloth; a second-rate champion.

SEC'OND-SIGHT, noun. The power of seeing things future or distant; a power claimed by some of the highlanders in Scotland.

Nor less avail'd his optic sleight,

And Scottish gift of second-sight. Trubbull's M'Fingal.

SEC'OND-SIGHTED, adjective. Having the power of second-sight.