second-hand
second-hand — noun
1. the thin pointer on a clock or watch that goes around the dial one full turn eve
the thin pointer on a clock or watch that goes around the dial one full turn every sixty seconds
Greta watched the second-hand jump forward with each quiet tick.
collocation: second-hand jump / tick
Wei waited for the second-hand to reach twelve before starting the race.
The kitchen clock had a broken second-hand, so Nora could not tell if it was still running.
The bus driver tapped the dashboard clock and said the second-hand was stuck again.
The second-hand on William's wristwatch had stopped moving, so he knew the battery was dead.
Leo held his breath and watched the second-hand sweep past sixty before coming up for air.
用法筆記
Sometimes written as two separate words 'second hand' rather than 'second-hand'. Both spellings refer to the same clock pointer.
second-hand — adjective
1. bought or owned after someone else has already used it
bought or owned after someone else has already used it
Caio found a reliable second-hand car at a local garage for a fair price.
collocation: second-hand car
Roya bought a beautiful second-hand coat from a charity shop in town.
collocation: second-hand coat / charity shop
Jack prefers second-hand furniture because it costs much less and often looks unique.
Gita dropped her old toys off at a second-hand shop on her way to school.
- used
more general; can describe anything previously owned; slightly less formal in commerce
- pre-owned
more formal; common in car dealerships and commercial listings
- hand-me-down
informal; specifically for clothes or items passed within a family or close circle
用法筆記
Commonly placed before nouns such as 'car', 'clothes', 'books', 'furniture', and 'shop'. Also written 'secondhand' without a hyphen.
常見錯誤
second-hand — adverb
1. in a way that is not from the original source but through another person
in a way that is not from the original source but through another person
Noa learned about the job opening second-hand through a former classmate.
adverb modifying 'learned' — source through another person
Hugo heard the rumour second-hand and called his cousin to check if it was true.
The Watanabe family found out about the festival second-hand from a notice at the station.
Kofi heard the news second-hand from a shopkeeper who had spoken to the mayor in person.
- indirectly
more widely used; can apply to many contexts beyond information
- from a secondary source
more formal; explicitly names the type of source
- first-hand
directly from the original source or personal experience
- directly
without anyone or anything in between
用法筆記
Typically placed after the verb it modifies ('heard it second-hand', 'learned it second-hand').
常見錯誤
2. as something that has already been owned and used by someone else before you
as something that has already been owned and used by someone else before you
Mayumi usually buys her textbooks second-hand to save money each semester.
adverb modifying 'buys' — buying used items
The family bought most of their kitchen tools second-hand from online marketplaces.
Jack sold his camera second-hand after upgrading to a newer model.
Minh bought his bicycle second-hand from a neighbour who was moving to Canada.
- new
in original unused condition
- directly from the store
from the original retailer, not a previous owner
用法筆記
Appears after verbs of buying, selling, or acquiring ('buy second-hand', 'sell second-hand', 'get it second-hand'). Cannot be used before a noun — the adjective form ('a second-hand camera') is used instead.
常見錯誤
second-hand — idiom
1. used in the fixed expression 'at second hand' to describe a situation where news
used in the fixed expression 'at second hand' to describe a situation where news, goods, or information reach you through someone else rather than coming straight from the original source
Madison heard the story at second hand through a friend of a friend and could not verify it.
fixed phrase: at second hand (through an intermediary)
The antique was bought at second hand, so Tariro never met the original owner.
The report reached the manager at second hand after passing through several departments.
Lena only knew about the sale at second hand when her neighbour mentioned it at breakfast.
Nadia found out about the scholarship at second hand from a notice sent to her local library.
Chidi learned about the job at second hand through a community group that met every Tuesday evening.
- indirectly
simpler and more common; can be used as an adverb in similar contexts
- through a third party
more formal; often used in business or legal contexts
- directly
from the original source without anyone in between
- first-hand
from personal experience or direct contact
用法筆記
This expression nearly always appears as 'at second hand'. It cannot be used without 'at' — you would not say 'I heard it second hand' (that would be the adverb form) or 'by second hand'.