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Webster 1913 Edition


Secondary

Sec′ond-a-ry

,
Adj.
[Cf. F.
secondaire
, L.
secundaire
. See
Second
,
Adj.
]
1.
Succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.
Wheresoever there is moral right on the one hand, no
secondary
right can discharge it.
L’Estrange.
Two are the radical differences; the
secondary
differences are as four.
Bacon.
2.
Acting by deputation or delegated authority;
as, the work of
secondary
hands
.
3.
(Chem.)
Possessing some quality, or having been subject to some operation (as substitution), in the second degree;
as, a
secondary
salt, a
secondary
amine, etc.
Cf.
primary
.
4.
(Min.)
Subsequent in origin; – said of minerals produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rock mass; also of characters of minerals (as
secondary
cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes.
5.
(Zool.)
Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
6.
(Med.)
(a)
Dependent or consequent upon another disease;
as, Bright's disease is often
secondary
to scarlet fever
.
(b)
Occurring in the second stage of a disease;
as, the
secondary
symptoms of syphilis
.
Secondary accent
.
See the Note under
Accent
,
Noun.
, 1.
Secondary age
.
(Geol.)
The Mesozoic age, or age before the Tertiary. See
Mesozoic
, and Note under
Age
,
Noun.
, 8.
Secondary alcohol
(Chem.)
,
any one of a series of alcohols which contain the radical
CH.OH
united with two hydrocarbon radicals. On oxidation the secondary alcohols form ketones.
Secondary amputation
(Surg.)
,
an amputation for injury, performed after the constitutional effects of the injury have subsided.
Secondary axis
(Opt.)
,
any line which passes through the optical center of a lens but not through the centers of curvature, or, in the case of a mirror, which passes through the center of curvature but not through the center of the mirror.
Secondary battery
.
(Elec.)
See under
Battery
,
Noun.
, 4.
Secondary circle
(Geom. & Astron.)
,
a great circle that passes through the poles of another great circle and is therefore perpendicular to its plane.
Secondary circuit
,
Secondary coil
(Elec.)
,
a circuit or coil in which a current is produced by the induction of a current in a neighboring circuit or coil called the primary circuit or coil.
Secondary color
,
a color formed by mixing any two primary colors in equal proportions.
Secondary coverts
(Zool.)
,
the longer coverts which overlie the basal part of the secondary quills of a bird. See Illust. under
Bird
.
Secondary crystal
(Min.)
,
a crystal derived from one of the primary forms.
Secondary current
(Elec.)
,
a momentary current induced in a closed circuit by a current of electricity passing through the same or a contiguous circuit at the beginning and also at the end of the passage of the primary current.
Secondary evidence
,
that which is admitted upon failure to obtain the primary or best evidence.
Secondary fever
(Med.)
,
a fever coming on in a disease after the subsidence of the fever with which the disease began, as the fever which attends the outbreak of the eruption in smallpox.
Secondary hemorrhage
(Med.)
,
hemorrhage occuring from a wounded blood vessel at some considerable time after the original bleeding has ceased.
Secondary planet
.
(Astron.)
See the Note under
Planet
.
Secondary qualities
,
those qualities of bodies which are not inseparable from them as such, but are dependent for their development and intensity on the organism of the percipient, such as color, taste, odor, etc.
Secondary quills
or
Secondary remiges
(Zool.)
,
the quill feathers arising from the forearm of a bird and forming a row continuous with the primaries; – called also
secondaries
. See Illust. of
Bird
.
Secondary rocks
or
Secondary strata
(Geol.)
,
those lying between the Primary, or Paleozoic, and Tertiary (see
Primary rocks
, under
Primary
); – later restricted to strata of the Mesozoic age, and at present but little used.
Secondary syphilis
(Med.)
,
the second stage of syphilis, including the period from the first development of constitutional symptoms to the time when the bones and the internal organs become involved.
Secondary tint
,
any subdued tint, as gray.
Secondary union
(Surg.)
,
the union of wounds after suppuration; union by the second intention.
Syn. – Second; second-rate; subordinate; inferior.

Sec′ond-a-ry

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Secondaries
.
1.
One who occupies a subordinate, inferior, or auxiliary place; a delegate or deputy; one who is second or next to the chief officer;
as, the
secondary
, or undersheriff of the city of London
.
Old Escalus . . . is thy
secondary
.
Shakespeare
2.
(Astron.)
(a)
A secondary circle.
(b)
A satellite.
3.
(Zool.)
A secondary quill.

Webster 1828 Edition


Secondary

SEC'ONDARY

,
Adj.
[L. secundarius, from secundus.]
1. Succeeding next in order to the first; subordinate.
Where there is moral right on the one hand, not secondary right can discharge it.

Definition 2024


secondary

secondary

English

Adjective

Latinate ordinals
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secondary (comparative more secondary, superlative most secondary)

  1. Succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.
  2. Acting by deputation or delegated authority; as, the work of secondary hands.
  3. Possessing some quality, or having been subject to some operation (as substitution), in the second degree; as, a secondary salt, a secondary amine, etc. Compare primary.
  4. (geology) Subsequent in origin; -- said of minerals produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rocks mass; also of characters of minerals (as secondary cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes.
  5. (anatomy) Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
  6. (medicine) Dependent or consequent upon another disease, or occurring in the second stage of a disease.
    Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever.
    the secondary symptoms of syphilis
  7. Of less than primary importance.
    • 1992, Deborah Bernstein, Pioneers and Homemakers: Jewish Women in Pre-state Israel, page 227:
      the problem of sexual equality became even more secondary than before in the eyes of the kibbutz and of its women members.
  8. (of a color) Formed by mixing primary colors.
    Yellow is a secondary light color, though a primary CMYK color.

Derived terms

Coordinate terms

Translations

Noun

secondary (plural secondaries)

  1. Used as an abbreviation to refer to items with names containing secondary.
  2. (ornithology) Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.
  3. (finance) An act of issuing more stock by an already publicly traded corporation.
  4. (American football, Canadian football) The defensive backs.
  5. (electronics) An inductive coil or loop that is magnetically powered by a primary in a transformer or similar
  6. One who occupies a subordinate or auxiliary place; a delegate deputy.
    the secondary, or undersheriff, of the city of London
    • Shakespeare
      Old Escalus [] is thy secondary.
  7. (astronomy) A secondary circle.
  8. (astronomy) A satellite.

Translations