second nature
noun
an acquired habit or tendency in one's character that is so deeply ingrained as to appear automatic: Neatness is second nature to him.
QUIZZES
LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!
Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
Origin of second nature
First recorded in 1655–65
Words nearby second nature
secondment, second messenger, second molar, second mortgage, second name, second nature, secondo, second of arc, second papers, second person, second position
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for second nature
She struck more chords, her fingers finding the keys with the second-nature sureness, learned in her months of dreary practice.
Rough-Hewn|Dorothy CanfieldTelling lies is a fault in a boy, an art in a lover, an accomplishment in a bachelor, and second-nature in a married man.
A Guide to Men|Helen Rowland
British Dictionary definitions for second nature
second nature
noun
a habit, characteristic, etc, not innate but so long practised or acquired as to seem so
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with second nature
second nature
A habit or mode of behavior so long practiced that it seems innate, as in Driving in heavy traffic is second nature to Chris. This expression is a shortened form of an ancient proverb, Custom (or usage) is a second nature, first recorded in 1390. It alludes to the fact that very frequently repeating something makes it seem completely natural or inborn.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.