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• second hand
  second hand

  noun

  the hand that indicates the seconds on a clock or watch.
• second-hand
  second-hand

  adjective

  previously owned or used

second hand

American  

[sek-uhnd hand, sek-uhnd hand] / ˈsɛk ənd ˌhænd, ˈsɛk ənd ˈhænd /

noun

second hands plural

1. the hand that indicates the seconds on a clock or watch.

2. an assistant or helper, as to a worker or foreman.

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idioms

1. at second hand, from or through an intermediate source or means; secondhand.

   She had the news at second hand.

second-hand ¹ British  

adjective

1. previously owned or used

2. not from an original source or experience

3. dealing in or selling goods that are not new

   a second-hand car dealer

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adverb

1. from a source of previously owned or used goods

   he prefers to buy second-hand

2. not directly

   he got the news second-hand

second hand ² British  

noun

1. a pointer on the face of a timepiece that indicates the seconds Compare hour hand minute hand

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second hand More Idioms  

1. see at second hand.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• second hands
  plural

Etymology

Origin of second hand

1425–75 second hand for def. 3; 1750–60 second hand for def. 1; late Middle English

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second hand second-hand

Its Birkin handbags continue to sell at a premium to retail prices in the second hand market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

They say this has also contributed to EVs failing to hold their value when they are sold second hand.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

A reuse charity is asking people to consider second hand this Black Friday as part of an alternative national campaign called Buy Nothing New.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025

The second hand market is also growing, but from a low base.

From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025

The professor moved the second hand to the griffin and the third to the dolphin.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

When Katie Howett ordered a ski jacket for her daughter from the online second-hand retailer Vinted, she got a little more than she bargained for.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

From bags and bicycles to surfboards and suitcases, the Japanese second-hand market is booming, with quality-conscious buyers in other Asian countries increasingly tapping into the circular economy trend.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Treasure Factory, a Tokyo-based second-hand store operator, now has six stores in Thailand and three in Taiwan.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

While supported by a number of his remarkable drawings, the sculptural Michelangelo we see mostly second-hand, through copies, casts, and independent works made by several of his many followers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

That gun was no great shakes when I bought it second-hand fifteen years ago, and it has never got any better.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck