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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

Besides going for American labels, they are also buying European luxury goods second hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The hardworking mother of three daughters called Los Angeles home and collected much of the material for her work from the city’s many flea markets and second hand shops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

Nicholas Theobald, who lives in London, made the switch to a second hand EV earlier this year over concerns about petrol prices.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

The second hand on the wall clock made its steady, ludicrous progress: sluff, sluff sluff...

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

His wife took pictures of shoplifters selling off their stolen merchandise in a second-hand goods store, but police could not identify them until the business-owners shared the images on social media.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Councillor Gemma Furnivall set up a second-hand uniform bank in Fareham after noticing how quickly her eight-year-old son was growing out of things.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Thomas Bachellerie, who used to manage a games shop in Lyon, warned that second-hand sales sometimes made up almost a third of stores' turnover -- a problem since digital games "cannot be resold or lent".

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

"My boys' football team runs a summer sale for second-hand kit, and apps like Vinted or Facebook Marketplace are goldmines."

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Perhaps he had had a bad day at the garage and had not sold enough crummy second-hand cars.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl