[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/second.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / second [← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/) # second «second» in Mova's school dictionary: **a very short unit of time** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech noun, adjective, adverb, verb (second, seconds, seconded); ordinal number (2nd) ### meaning for a pupil 1) A second is a very short unit of time. A minute has 60 seconds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m1) 2) Second means number 2 in order, after the first. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m2) 3) «A second» in speech means a very short time: «Wait a second». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m3) 4) Seconds are a second helping of food. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m4) 5) To second an idea is to say you agree with it in a meeting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m5) 6) A second is also a unit for angles: 60 seconds make one minute of a degree. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m6) 7) (casual) «Sec» and «a sec» mean a short time: «hang on a sec», «2 secs»; «seconds?» asks for more food. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m7) 8) (casual) «Seconds» are also goods sold cheap because they have small faults. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m8) 9) (formal) «Subsequent» and «the latter» are stiff words for second in order; «second» as a verb (pronounced «se-COND», UK) means to move a worker to another job for a while. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#m9) ### sense in the lessons As a unit of time: stopwatches, races, timers; 60 seconds = 1 minute. As an order word: the second day, second place, second grade, second floor. Everyday phrases: «just a second», «in a split second», «second-hand» (used before), «on second thoughts», «second best». Science: speed in meters per second. In casual talk: «gimme a sec», «back in 2 secs» (not exact). In the exam voice: «on the subsequent day», «the latter of the two». Phrases: «second to none» (the best), «second nature», «second chance». ### examples - He ran 100 m in 15 seconds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x1) - A minute has 60 seconds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x2) - On the second day she read 20 pages. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x3) - She came second in the race. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x4) - Wait a second, I can't find my shoe. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x5) - Can I have seconds, please? The soup is lovely. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x6) - The second hand on the clock moves once each second. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x7) - Light travels very fast, about 300,000 km in one second. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x8) - We bought a second-hand bike for half the price. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x9) - hang on a sec, my phone's on 2% (casual) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x10) - Wait a bloody second, you said 5 not 6! (rough) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x11) - On the subsequent day a further 20 pages were read; determine the total for the two days. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/#x12) ### note As a unit it may need changing: minutes × 60 = seconds. Written «s» or «sec». As an order word it is 2nd and points to the second event or item. Trap: «the second day» is order, not an amount of 2 days. Trap: «second-hand» means used before, not a part of a clock (but the second hand of a clock is the thin fast hand). «Seconds» of food means more food. Trap: casual «a sec» or «2 secs» is not a real time to compute with. Formal «the subsequent day» = the second (next) day. ### In the corpora - [Example: in a café in Toronto, Mum taps her phone on the reader and the coffee is paid in a second.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/6/) - [One coat of paint often looks patchy, so a second coat is painted on once the first is dry.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/11-when-things-break/13/) - [In Manchester, Mum sits with the phone at 7.59, ready to ring the surgery the second it opens.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/20-the-doctor-and-the-chemist/3/) - [A few seconds of video of two brothers walking together does not tell you whether they have made up.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/44-the-royal-family-in-the-news-a-wedding-a-move-to-america-an-interview-and-a-book/24/) - [Screenshots of messages can be faked in seconds, and private messages are private even if they are real.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/48-famous-people-are-people/17/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «second» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/second/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.