Download the app
educalingo
Search
For years, I was quite a militant atheist. I wanted to burn down all the churches or turn them into second-hand record emporiums.
Michel Faber

Meaning of "second-hand" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF SECOND-HAND

second-hand play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SECOND-HAND

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Second-Hand can act as an adjective and an adverb.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

The adverb is an invariable part of the sentence that can change, explain or simplify a verb or another adverb.

WHAT DOES SECOND-HAND MEAN IN ENGLISH?

second-hand

Used good

A second-hand or used good is one that is being purchased by or otherwise transferred to a second or later end user. A used good can also simply mean it is no longer in the same condition as it was when transferred to the current owner. When "used" means an item has expended its purpose, it is typically called garbage, instead. Used goods may be transferred informally between friends and family for free as "hand-me-downs" or they may be sold for a fraction of their original price at garage sales or in church bazaar fundraisers. Governments require some used goods to be sold through regulated markets, as in the case of items which have safety and legal issues, such as used firearms or cars; for these items, government licensing bodies require certification and registration of the sale, to prevent the sale of stolen, unregistered, or unsafe goods. As well, for some high-value used goods, such as cars and motorcycles, governments regulate used sales to ensure that the government gets its sales tax revenue from the sale.

Definition of second-hand in the English dictionary

The first definition of second-hand in the dictionary is previously owned or used. Other definition of second-hand is not from an original source or experience. Second-Hand is also dealing in or selling goods that are not new.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SECOND-HAND

second-best
second-class
second-class citizen
second-class honours degree
second-degree
second-degree burn
second-grader
second-guess
second-guesser
second-half
second-hand bookseller
second-hand bookshop
second-hand dealer
second-hand smoke
second-homer
second-in-command
second-rate
second-rater
second-row
second-sighted

WORDS THAT END LIKE SECOND-HAND

a free hand
a heavy hand
at first hand
at hand
by hand
first hand
first-hand
four-in-hand
glad-hand
hand
hand in hand
hand-to-hand
in hand
left-hand
on hand
out of hand
right-hand
second hand
the upper hand
to hand

Synonyms and antonyms of second-hand in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «second-hand» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF SECOND-HAND

Find out the translation of second-hand to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of second-hand from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «second-hand» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

二手
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

de segunda mano
570 millions of speakers

English

second-hand
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

दूसरे हाथ
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

المستعملة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

подержанная
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

segunda mão
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

দ্বিতীয় সরাসরি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

d´occasion
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

terpakai
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Second-Hand-
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

二手
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

중고
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Kapindho
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

second-hand
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

இரண்டாவது கை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

वापरलेले
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

ikinci el
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

di seconda mano
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

z drugiej ręki
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

уживана
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

la mâna a doua
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

από δεύτερο χέρι
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

tweedehandse
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

begagnat
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

annenhånds
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of second-hand

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SECOND-HAND»

The term «second-hand» is very widely used and occupies the 13.941 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
94
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «second-hand» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of second-hand
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «second-hand».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SECOND-HAND» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «second-hand» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «second-hand» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about second-hand

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «SECOND-HAND»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word second-hand.
1
Loni Anderson
My sister and I are both diagnosed with second-hand smoke syndromes. We have never smoked, but we grew up with second-hand smoke our entire lives.
2
Bjork
I get highs, to be totally honest, in second-hand shops. My hunting instinct, I expect, really kicks in.
3
Orlando Bloom
The best way to look stylish on a budget is to try second-hand, bargain hunting, and vintage.
4
John le Carre
I'm really a library man, or second-hand book man.
5
Cyril Connolly
A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends.
6
Paulo Costanzo
I grew up as a fairly poor kid in, you know, Toronto, Canada. I don't think I owned any new clothes until I was, like, 15 or something. They were all second-hand and forged from paper.
7
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
In terms of influence, my style icons have been a mixture of Julie Andrews and Olivia Newton-John. When I was little I used to watch 'Grease,' 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Sound of Music' a lot. If you put all those things together you do kind of get my outfits. A slightly tarty nanny in a second-hand outfit. That is pretty much what I wear.
8
Michel Faber
For years, I was quite a militant atheist. I wanted to burn down all the churches or turn them into second-hand record emporiums.
9
Leigh Hunt
Your second-hand bookseller is second to none in the worth of the treasures he dispenses.
10
Ashley Jensen
I've always been quite thrifty. I can't bear to spend hundreds of pounds on designer clothes. I shop in second-hand shops in Portobello Road and go to Sue Ryder.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SECOND-HAND»

Discover the use of second-hand in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to second-hand and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Second-hand dog: how to turn yours into a first-rate pet
Describes the care, training, and rehabilitation of previously owned or formerly homeless dogs, focusing on their special problems and needs.
Carol Lea Benjamin, 1988
2
Alternative Exchanges: Second-hand Circulations from the ...
This volume explores the changing meaning of the circulation of second-hand goods from the Renaissance to today, and thereby examines the blurring of boundaries between market, gifts, and charity.
Laurence Fontaine, 2008
3
Second-Hand Cultures
Drawing on six years of original research, this book explores what happens when the often contradictory motivations behind style and survival strategies are brought together in the second hand trade.
Nicky Gregson, Louise Crewe, 2003
4
Old clothes, new looks: second hand fashion
This book not only shows how important used clothing has become but also what role it plays in culture and history. The Japanese, for example, traditionally salvage sections of kimonos, while in India garments are inexhaustibly recycled.
Alexandra Palmer, Hazel Clark, 2005
5
The Second-hand Parrot: Everything about Adoption, Housing, ...
The many titles in this series show and tell pet owners how to care for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, gerbils, hamsters, and virtually every other animal that is kept as a pet.
Mattie Sue Athan, Dianalee Deter, 2002
6
Second Hand Smoke: A Novel
Second Hand Smoke is the story of Mila's sons, Issac and Duncan, the one secretly abandoned in Poland, and the other, American-born, raised as an avenging Nazi hunter, poisoned with rage.
Thane Rosenbaum, 2000
7
Second Hand Art
Those are Henry's favorite days. But the best day of all is the day Henry realizes what Allen's Second Hand Art can teach him about himself! Once they were broken and abandoned, but they can become beautiful in time.
Cynthia Fabian, 2010
8
Dedicated to You: A Secret History of Second-Hand Books
This is not always the case, though ... Wayne Gooderham is fascinated by second-hand books and curates a growing collection of those featuring intriguing inscriptions.
Wayne Gooderham, 2013
9
Second-Hand Stories
Written between 1993 and 2005, the articles in this book highlight major figurers and movements in Louisville history."--Back cover.
Michael Jones, 2006
10
Second Hand Spaces: Recycling Sites Undergoing Urban ...
In nine essays, twenty-seven experts highlight the backgrounds, actors, and effects of second hand spaces based on fifteen projects from Europe, resulting in thematic links to current social discourses throughout the book.
Michael Ziehlke, Sarah Osswald, Oliver Hasemann, 2012

4 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SECOND-HAND»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term second-hand is used in the context of the following news items.
1
California getting 'second-hand smog' from Asia, researchers say
California is suffering from "second-hand smog" drifting in from Asia and other places, researchers said on Tuesday, even as the state's prolonged drought has ... «Reuters, Mar 15»
2
Second-hand Smoke Linked to Increased Risk of Miscarriage, Stillbirth
However, those within this group who were exposed to second-hand smoke for more than 10 years during childhood, or as an adult at home or at work, were 17 ... «LiveScience.com, Feb 14»
3
Second-hand smoke linked to kids' hospital visits for asthma
Asthmatic children who are exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to make repeat trips to the hospital for breathing problems. But researchers say asking ... «CBS News, Jan 14»
4
Global burden of disease from second-hand smoke
More than 600 000 death per year worldwide are caused by second-hand smoke (SHS) - this is more than 1% of all deaths. 165 000 of these deaths are among ... «World Health Organization, Nov 10»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Second-Hand [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/second-hand-1>. Apr 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z