second
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 →
2) Second means number 2 in order, after the first. tree →
3) «A second» in speech means a very short time: «Wait a second». tree →
4) Seconds are a second helping of food. tree →
5) To second an idea is to say you agree with it in a meeting. tree →
6) A second is also a unit for angles: 60 seconds make one minute of a degree. tree →
7) (casual) «Sec» and «a sec» mean a short time: «hang on a sec», «2 secs»; «seconds?» asks for more food. tree →
8) (casual) «Seconds» are also goods sold cheap because they have small faults. tree →
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 →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: The "second day" of creation is when God made the sky to divide the waters. Rabbis noted that the Torah does not say "it was good" of that day. In Chronicles "second" names the order of sons and priestly groups. In the primary 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
- And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a second son. (Torah GEN.30.12, JPS 1917) tree →
- And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (Torah GEN.1.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- and the second row a carbuncle, a sapphire, and an emerald; (Torah EXO.28.18, JPS 1917) tree →
- Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third; (Writings 1CH.12.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second. (Writings 1CH.23.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah; (Writings 1CH.24.7, JPS 1917) tree →
- He ran 100 m in 15 seconds. tree →
- A minute has 60 seconds. tree →
- On the second day she read 20 pages. tree →
- She came second in the race. tree →
- Wait a second, I can't find my shoe. tree →
- Can I have seconds, please? The soup is lovely. tree →
- The second hand on the clock moves once each second. tree →
- Light travels very fast, about 300,000 km in one second. tree →
- We bought a second-hand bike for half the price. tree →
- hang on a sec, my phone's on 2% (casual) tree →
- Wait a bloody second, you said 5 not 6! (rough) tree →
- On the subsequent day a further 20 pages were read; determine the total for the two days. (formal exam) tree →
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
- And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
- And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush.
- And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.
- And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven,
- And Bilhah Rachel's handmaid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «second» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.