SEC'OND, a. [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.

1. That immediately follows the first; the next 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. xii.
2. Next in value, power, excellence, dignity or rank; inferior. The silks of China are second to none in quality. Lord Chatham was second to none in eloquence. Dr. Johnson was second to none in intellectual 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. – Encyc. At second-hand, in the second place of order; not in the first place, or by or from the first; by transmission; not primarily; not originally; as, a report received at second-hand. The imitation of preachers at second-hand, I shall transcribe / from Bruyere a piece of raillery. – Tatler.

1. One who attends another in a duel, to aid him, mark out the ground or distance, and see that all proceedings between the parties are fair. – Watts. Addison.
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 of time 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 or below it. – Busby. Encyc.

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 Bonaparte, were seconded by Russia. – Anon. In God, one single can its ends produce, / Yet serves to 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.

1. Immediately following the first; next to the first in order of place or time; hence, occurring again; another; other.
   
   

   And he slept and dreamed the second time. Gen. xli. 5.

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

   Man
   An angel's second, nor his second long. Young.

3. To follow in the next place] to succeed; to alternate.
   
   
   [R.]

   In the method of nature, a low valley is immediately seconded with an ambitious hill. Fuller.

   Sin is seconded with sin. South.

4. Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior.
   
   

   May the day when we become the second people upon earth . . . be the day of our utter extirpation. Landor.

5. 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.
   
   

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

6. 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.
   
   

   We have supplies to second our attempt. Shak.

   In human works though labored on with pain,
   A thousand movements scarce one purpose gain;
   In God's, one single can its end produce,
   Yet serves to second too some other use. Pope.

7. Being of the same kind as another that has preceded; another, like a prototype; as, a second Cato; a second Troy; a second deluge.
   
   

   A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel! Shak.

   Second Adventist. See Adventist. -- Second cousin, the child of a cousin. -- Second-cut file. See under File. -- Second distance (Art), that part of a picture between the foreground and the background; -- called also middle ground, or middle distance. [R.] -- Second estate (Eng.), the House of Peers. -- Second girl, a female house- servant who does the lighter work, as chamber work or waiting on table. -- Second intention. See under Intention. -- Second story, Second floor, in America, the second range of rooms from the street level. This, in England, is called the first floor, the one beneath being the ground floor. -- Second thought or thoughts, consideration of a matter following a first impulse or impression; reconsideration.

   On second thoughts, gentlemen, I don't wish you had known him. Dickens.
   

8. Aid; assistance; help.
   
   
   [Obs.]

   Give second, and my love
   Is everlasting thine. J. Fletcher.

9. Specifically, to support, as a motion or proposal, by adding one's voice to that of the mover or proposer.
10. An article of merchandise of a grade inferior to the best; esp., a coarse or inferior kind of flour.
11. 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.
12. In the duodecimal system of mensuration, the twelfth part of an inch or prime; a line. See Inch, and Prime, n., 8.
13. The interval between any tone and the tone which is represented on the degree of the staff next above it.
    
    
    (b)