| 1 |
[ adjective ] derived from what is primary or original; not firsthand
Examples "a secondhand report" "a secondhand account of a memory of something once read" "most of our knowledge is secondhand" Used in print (James Boylan, "Mutinity"...)For hundreds of years , the evidence available consisted_of ( 1 ) the captain 's fragmentary journal , ( 2 ) a highly prejudiced account by one of the survivors , ( 3 ) a note found in a dead man 's desk on_board , and ( 4 ) several second-hand reports . Related terms |
| 2 |
[ adverb ] by indirect means
Examples "I heard about it only secondhand or thirdhand" "he prefers to buy secondhand" Used in print (Dan McLachlan, Jr., "Communication Networks and...)Information beyond nearest neighbor is carried second - , third - , and fourth hand as a distortable rumor . |
| 3 |
[ adjective ] previously used or owned by another
Examples "bought a secondhand (or used) car" Used in print (Orlin J. Scoville, Part-Time Farming...)You can keep your machinery investment down by buying good secondhand machinery , by sharing the cost and upkeep of machinery with a neighbor , and by hiring someone with machinery to do certain jobs . Related terms |
| * |
|