second-hand

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second-hand

adj

1. previously owned or used

2. not from an original source or experience

3. (Commerce) dealing in or selling goods that are not new: a second-hand car dealer.

adv

4. from a source of previously owned or used goods: he prefers to buy second-hand.

5. not directly: he got the news second-hand.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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second-hand

adjective

1. used, old, handed down, hand-me-down (informal), nearly new, pre-owned, reach-me-down (informal) a stack of second-hand books

2. secondary, derivative, indirect, rehashed, unoriginal second-hand information

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

second-hand

[ˈsekəndˈhænd]

A. ADJ (gen) → de segunda mano; [car] → usado, de segunda mano
second-hand bookseller → librero/a m/f de viejo
second-hand bookshop → librería f de viejo
second-hand clothes → ropa f usada or de segunda mano
second-hand information → información f de segunda mano
second-hand shop → tienda f de segunda mano, bazar m (Mex), cambalache m (S. Cone)

B. ADV
to buy sth second-hand → comprar algo de segunda mano
I heard it only second-hand → yo lo supe solamente por otro
she heard it second-hand from her friend → se enteró por su amiga

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

second-hand

[ˌsɛk/əndˈhænd]

1. adj → di seconda mano, usato/a
second-hand bookshop → negozio di libri usati

2. adv to buy sth second-hand → comprare qc di seconda mano
second-hand news → notizie fpl di seconda mano
to hear sth second-hand → venire a sapere qc da terze persone

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

second¹

(ˈsekənd) adjective

1. next after, or following, the first in time, place etc. February is the second month of the year; She finished the race in second place.

2. additional or extra. a second house in the country.

3. lesser in importance, quality etc. She's a member of the school's second swimming team.

adverb

next after the first. He came second in the race.

noun

1. a second person, thing etc. You're the second to arrive.

2. a person who supports and helps a person who is fighting in a boxing match etc.

verb

to agree with (something said by a previous speaker), especially to do so formally. He proposed the motion and I seconded it.

ˈsecondary adjective

1. coming after, and at a more advanced level than, primary. secondary education.

2. lesser in importance. a matter of secondary importance.

noun – plural ˈsecondaries –

a secondary school.

ˈseconder noun

a person who seconds.

ˈsecondly adverb

in the second place. I have two reasons for not buying the house – firstly, it's too big, and secondly it's too far from town.

secondary colours

colours got by mixing primary colours. Orange and purple are secondary colours.

secondary school

a school where subjects are taught at a more advanced level than at primary school.

ˌsecond-ˈbest noun, adjective

next after the best; not the best. She wore her second-best hat; I want your best work – your second-best is not good enough.

ˌsecond-ˈclass adjective

1. of or in the class next after or below the first; not of the very best quality. a second-class restaurant; He gained a second-class honours degree in French.

2. (for) travelling in a part of a train etc that is not as comfortable or luxurious as some other part. a second-class passenger; His ticket is second-class; (also adverb) I'll be travelling second-class.

ˌsecond-ˈhand adjective

previously used by someone else. second-hand clothes.

second lieutenant

a person of the rank below lieutenant. Second Lieutenant Jones.

ˌsecond-ˈrate adjective

inferior. The play was pretty second-rate.

second sight

the power of seeing into the future or into other mysteries. They asked a woman with second sight where the dead body was.

second thoughts

a change of opinion, decision etc. I'm having second thoughts about selling the piano.

at second hand

through or from another person. I heard the news at second hand.

come off second best

to be the loser in a struggle. That cat always comes off second best in a fight.

every second week/month etc

(on or during) alternate weeks, months etc. He comes in every second day.

second to none

better than every other of the same type. As a portrait painter, he is second to none.

References in classic literature ?

The Beaver's best course was, no doubt, to procure A second-hand dagger-proof coat-- So the Baker advised it-- and next, to insure Its life in some Office of note:

View in context

Mortimer's second visit, that Billy drove in with a load of pipe; and house, chicken yards, and barn were piped from the second-hand tank he installed below the house-spring.

I got a big second-hand one staked out that I can get for ten dollars, an' it'll pump more water'n I need.

View in context

But if he spoke of the delights of the atmosphere of Mr Brass's office in a literal sense, he had certainly a peculiar taste, as it was of a close and earthy kind, and, besides being frequently impregnated with strong whiffs of the second-hand wearing apparel exposed for sale in Duke's Place and Houndsditch, had a decided flavour of rats and mice, and a taint of mouldiness.

View in context

I quickly found myself a tiny apartment on the fifth floor of a house in the Rue des Dames, and for a couple of hundred francs bought at a second-hand dealer's enough furniture to make it habitable.

View in context

"I was going down the street here when I happened to stop and look in at the musical instruments in the shop-window--a friend of mine is in want of a second-hand wiolinceller of a good tone--and I saw a party enjoying themselves, and I thought it was you in the corner; I thought I couldn't be mistaken.

Do you think father could recommend a second-hand wiolinceller of a good tone for Mr.

View in context

I sold my hard-bought school books for ridiculous sums to second-hand bookmen.

View in context

Even the fragments of his words when "repeated at second-hand" have in all ages ravished the hearts of men, who have seen reflected in them their own higher nature.

View in context

"Well, on the 5th of February, he sold the fine carriage, and bought a cheap second-hand one--said it would answer just as well to take the money home in, and he didn't care for style.

View in context

This place, to which only a chosen few were admitted, looked like a chapel and a second-hand shop, so filled was it with devotional and heterogeneous things.

View in context

At last he came upon an elderly, crusty Jew, who sold second-hand articles, and from whom he purchased a dress of Scotch stuff, a large mantle, and a fine otter-skin pelisse, for which he did not hesitate to pay seventy-five pounds.

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