Oxford Thesaurus - An A-Z Dictionary Of Synonyms

second° adj. 1 subsequent, following, next: He let the first target go by and aimed for the second one. 2 subordinate, next: If the colonel isn't here, who is the second officer? 3 alternative, second-best: She refuses to settle for second choice. 4 alternate, other: The laundry is picked up and delivered every second Tuesday. His second language is Italian. 5 other, later, younger, newer, more recent: After his first wife died, he took her nurse as his second wife. 6 another, duplicate: The boy is a second Einstein.

--n. 7 defective or imperfect or damaged or faulty or deficient or flawed or impaired or marred or blemished or bruised or inferior merchandise: The prices of these shirts have been reduced because they are seconds. 8 subordinate, assistant, number two, lieutenant, aide-de-camp, man Friday, girl Friday, right hand; understudy, stand-in, substitute, surrogate, double, alternate, backer, supporter; Colloq US gal Friday: Not being ambitious, Helen would prefer to be a second to the person who runs the business.

--v. 9 support, back, aid, help, assist, approve (of), advance, promote, subscribe to, espouse, sponsor, patronize, favour, encourage, go along with: Madam Chairwoman, I would like to second this proposal. 10 transfer, move, assign, shift,

relocate: After the Falklands War, he was seconded to fleet headquarters for a year.

--adv. 11 secondly, in the second place, secondarily, (number) two, b or B: I want to go: first, because it'll be interesting, and second, because Jake'll be there.

secondý n. moment, instant, flash, minute, twinkling or wink or bat (of an eye), split second, Colloq sec, jiffy, two shakes (of a

lamb's tail), Brit tick, half a mo: I'll be with you in a second, as soon as I finish writing this letter.

secondary adj. 1 less important, unimportant, inessential or unessential, non-essential, non-critical, subsidiary, ancillary, minor,

inferior, subordinate: These secondary matters can be dealt with after the important ones. 2 derivative, derived, indirect, second-hand, unoriginal, not original; copied, imitated: His biography of Queen Victoria was based entirely on secondary sources. 3 auxiliary, second-line, backup, extra, reserve,

spare, provisional, supporting, supportive, alternate, alternative: We were forced to rely on our secondary defences after the enemy cavalry broke through.

second-hand

adj. used, old, worn, Colloq hand-me-down: When we were children our parents could only afford to dress us in second-hand clothes. His much-vaunted novels are for the most part based on second-hand ideas.

secrecy n. 1 mystery, concealment, confidentiality, stealth, secretiveness, surreptitiousness, privacy, furtiveness, covertness, clandestineness: Why was there so much secrecy surrounding the publication date of Jennie's book? 2 in secrecy. secretly, mysteriously, confidentially, stealthily, secretively, surreptitiously, privately, furtively, covertly, clandestinely, sneakily: They carry on much of their business in secrecy.

secret adj. 1 concealed, hidden, private, covert, shrouded, clandestine; confidential, covert, quiet, under cover,

secretive, unpublishable, unpublished, Colloq hush-hush: There is a secret passageway leading from the cave to the cove. Keep secret what I shall tell you. She revealed to me her most secret desires. 2 cryptic, private, arcane, mysterious, incomprehensible, esoteric, recondite, abstruse; cryptographic,

encrypted, encoded: We used to communicate by secret code. Did you receive my secret message?

--n. 3 private or confidential matter or affair, mystery: If I tell you my secret will you tell me yours? 4 in secret. privately, confidentially, secretly, on the q.t. or Q.T.; surreptitiously, under cover, by stealth, stealthily, furtively, quietly, on the sly, clandestinely: The office manager told me in secret that John was going to resign. They see one another in secret.

secrete° v. hide, conceal, cache, bury, cloak, shroud, enshroud, camouflage, mask, disguise, Slang stash away: They secreted the haul from the robbery in the cellar of a house in Balham.

secreteý v. yield, excrete, pass, generate, release, ooze, seep, exude, discharge, leak, drip, drop, dribble, trickle, run, drain, emit, give off, emanate, transude, Technical extravasate: The ants

herd aphids for the substance they secrete. The wound will secrete pus for a while.

secretion n. secreting, release, escape, oozing, seeping, seepage, discharge, discharging, leak, leaking, leakage, drip, dripping, drop, dropping, dribbling, trickling, trickle, running, drain, draining, emission, emitting, giving off, exudation, transudation, excretion, excreting, emanation, emanating, generation, Technical extravasation; transudate, excreta, Technical extravasate: The secretion of perspiration may be profuse under such circumstances. The secretion is highly acid in content.

secretive adj. reticent, silent, close-mouthed, taciturn, uncommunicative, reserved, tight-lipped, close, Colloq mum: Robert is very secretive about where he goes every day at lunch-time.

secretly adv. surreptitiously, quietly, privately, covertly, on the q.t. or Q.T., furtively, stealthily, mysteriously, clandestinely, in secret, confidentially, on the sly, slyly, sub rosa, sub

sigillo: I can tell you secretly that she is wanted by the police. Henry secretly rents videotape cartoons to watch at weekends.

sectarian adj. 1 cultist, cultish, clannish, cliquish, partisan, partial, dogmatic, doctrinaire, factional: They seldom mingle with others, maintaining their sectarian existence. 2 parochial, narrow, narrow-minded, limited, insular, provincial, rigid, fanatic(al), prejudicial, prejudiced, bigoted: Because they refused to consider ideas other than their own, they gradually became more and more sectarian in their views.

--n. 3 adherent, member, sectary, votary, cultist, partisan: They tried to banish Anabaptists, Lutherans, Calvinists, and other sectarians. 4 (true) believer, dogmatist, fanatic, bigot, zealot, extremist, Slang nut, bug, fiend: Some of the

sectarians engage in the ritualistic handling of live rattlesnakes.

section n. 1 part, division, department, branch, sector, group, detachment, segment, portion, subdivision, component, element: Sadler has been assigned to work in the research section. I never read the the sports section in the Sunday papers. Which sections of the country will vote for you? The string section needs practice before tonight's concert. 2 sample, slice, cross-section, fraction: It can be faulty to assume that the characteristics of the whole are necessarily represented in a small section of it. I examined a section of tissue under the microscope. 3 part, stage, segment, portion, leg: The first section of the journey was more comfortable than the last.

--v. 4 cut (up), divide (up), segment, split, cleave, measure out, apportion, allot, allocate: The land was sectioned into four-acre parcels.

unthreatened, unexposed, unimperilled, snug, cosy: Fiona feels quite secure in her new house. Considering the success of the company, Bill's job looks secure. 2 firm, steady, stable, fixed, fast, moored, anchored, immovable, closed, shut, fastened, locked (up), tight, sound, solid, sturdy, strong: That button

on your jacket doesn't look very secure. Make sure that the house is secure before you go to sleep. 3 reliable, safe, good, profitable, healthy, solid: Telephone shares looked like a secure investment at the time. 4 sure, certain, assured, ensured, definite, inevitable, assumed, evident, obvious, unquestionable, established, probable, easy: With only two minutes left to play, victory seemed secure for Rangers.

--v. 5 obtain, get (hold of), come by, acquire, procure, win; gain, get or take possession of, arrogate: Tim has secured a responsible position at the bank. She always manages to secure

the sympathy of older men. 6 guarantee, underwrite, hypothecate, collateralize: We used our house to secure the loan. 7

protect, shelter, shield, defend, guard, safeguard, preserve:

It seems impossible to secure young children from bullying at school. 8 fasten, make fast, fix, affix, attach, anchor: Secure the cases to the roof-rack with strong rope.

security n. 1 safety, shelter, protection, fastness, refuge, safe keeping, sanctuary, asylum: During the air raids, we retired to the security of the basement. 2 confidence, certainty, surety, assurance, conviction: He has the security of knowing that he is right in this instance. 3 guarantee or guaranty, collateral, deposit, gage, pledge, insurance: What are you going to offer as security for the loan? 4 surveillance, safeguarding, guarding, safe keeping, protection, custody, custodianship, care: What plans does the company have for the security of the office building?

sedate adj. 1 composed, serene, peaceful, calm, tranquil, cool, collected, even-tempered, detached, imperturbable, unruffled, undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled, placid, grave, serious, sober, solemn, Colloq unflappable: Despite all the turmoil round her, Sarah remained quite sedate. 2 dignified, decorous, refined, formal, stiff, staid, proper, strait-laced, prudish,

fussy, prim, conventional, old-fashioned: Donald prefers a sedate waltz to boogying and jiving.

sedative n. 1 narcotic, tranquillizer, opiate, sleeping-pill, soporific, calmative, anodyne, depressant, hypnotic, barbiturate, lenitive, Colloq downer, knock-out drop, Slang Mickey (Finn): The doctor has given him a sedative and he should sleep now.

--adj. 2 narcotic, tranquillizing, relaxing, soothing, calming, allaying, opiate, soporific, sleep-inducing, calmative, anodyne, lenitive, depressing, hypnotic: I found that listening to a recording of surf splashing on a beach has a sedative effect.

sedentary adj. seated, sitting, stationary, fixed, immobile, unmoving, housebound, desk-bound: You should find a more sedentary occupation to follow while you recover. As a writer, I lead a sedentary existence and get little exercise.

sediment n. lees, dregs, deposit, grounds, precipitate, remains, residue, settlings, residuum, detritus: Periodically, the sediment must be cleaned out of the filters.

sedition n. agitation, incitement (to riot), rabble-rousing, fomentation, instigation, firing-up, stirring up, whipping up; mutiny, insurrection, insurgency or insurgence, rebellion; treason, treachery: Because he had organized the strike in the munitions plant during wartime, he was accused of sedition.

seditious adj. rebellious, mutinous, revolutionary, insurgent, inflammatory, rabble-rousing, insurrectionist, insurrectionary, refractory, subversive, treacherous, dissident, disloyal, turncoat, unfaithful: One seditious action on the part of the colonists was to dump tea into the harbour at Boston, Massachusetts.

seduce v. 1 lure, entice, attract, allure, tempt, mislead, beguile, deceive, decoy, draw on, charm, captivate, vamp, entrap, ensnare, trap, Colloq sweet-talk: He was seduced into giving her his life's savings. 2 dishonour, ruin, corrupt, lead

astray, defile, debauch, deflower, violate, ravish: How many girls have been seduced in the name of undying love?

seducer n. See also seductress, below. rake, libertine, rou‚, playboy, lady-killer, lecher, debauchee, debaucher, lover, cicisbeo, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Colloq wolf: She can't really be going out with that wretched seducer!

seductive adj. alluring, attractive, tempting, tantalizing, enticing, inviting, seducing, enchanting, entrancing, bewitching, fascinating, flirtatious, coquettish, captivating, beguiling, provocative, siren, irresistible, winning, appealing, prepossessing, Colloq sexy: He was lured into the whirl of the financial world by the seductive five-letter word - money. Never had Helena looked more seductive than on that night in Rio.

seductress

n. See also seducer, above. temptress, siren, femme fatale, enchantress, Circe, Lorelei, Jezebel, vamp: That clever seductress will soon have him eating out of her hand.

glom: I saw him buy a bottle of whisky. We saw two yellow-bellied sapsuckers in one day! Can you see the sea from your suite? Did you see the Houses of Parliament when you were in London? 2 understand, comprehend, apprehend, perceive, appreciate, fathom, grasp, take in, realize, know, be aware or conscious of, get the idea or meaning of, Colloq dig, get, get

the drift or the hang of: I see what you are saying, but I don't agree. After her speech, I saw Gladys in a new light. 3 foresee, foretell, imagine, envisage, envision, visualize, picture, divine, conceive (of), dream of, conjure up, accept: I

can see a day when warming from the greenhouse effect will make the sea level rise. Ted said he can't see you as a married man.

4 determine, ascertain, find out, investigate, discover, learn: See if the bakery has any macaroons. I'll see what she thinks. 5 Often, see to it. ensure, assure, make sure or certain, mind, be vigilant: It's cold outside, so see that you dress warmly.

6 accompany, escort, show, lead, conduct, usher, take, convoy, bring, walk, drive: I was seeing Nellie home from a soir‚e at Aunt Dinah's. 7 go out with, socialize with, keep company with, consort with, associate with; court, woo; Colloq go steady with, Chiefly US date: Are you still seeing that boy you met at the school dance? 8 make up one's mind, think over, mull over, consider, ponder (on or over), contemplate, decide, reflect

(on), meditate (on or over or about), ruminate (on or over), brood over: Mother said she'd see whether I could go. Then I asked father, and he said he'd see. 9 receive, meet (with), talk or speak with, confer with, consult (with), have a word with, sit down with, visit with, interview; welcome, greet: The ambassador will see you now. 10 undergo, experience, go through, endure, survive: He saw service overseas during the war. 11 help, aid, assist, support, finance, pay the way for; guide, shepherd: She saw three children through university without anyone's help. 12 see about. a see to, attend to, look after, take care or charge of, look to, organize, manage, do, undertake, sort out; think about, consider, give some thought to, pay attention or heed to: Could you please see about

feeding the horses while I am away? I asked Martin and he said he'd see about it. b investigate, study, probe, look into, make enquiries or inquiries, enquire or inquire about: The teacher said she would see about letting us out early before the

holiday. 13 see off. bid adieu or bon voyage: We went to the airport to see them off. 14 see through. a penetrate, detect, perceive, Slang be wise to: She saw through your subterfuge at

seedy adj. 1 shabby, dilapidated, worn (out), decayed, deteriorated, run-down, broken-down, mangy, grubby, decaying, tatty, scruffy, squalid, sleazy, Colloq ratty: They live in a seedy little

shack on the other side of town. 2 tired, weary, wearied, run-down, worn out, unwell, out of sorts, ailing, ill, sickly, Colloq poorly, under the weather, off one's feed: I begged off at dinner time because I was feeling a bit seedy.

seeing conjunction. in view of (the fact that), whereas, in (the)

seem v. appear, look (as if or non-standard in US like), sound, feel, have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, give every indication or appearance of: He seems all right to me. She seems to have forgotten her key again. It seems as if I've never been away at all. He seemed frightened.

seeming adj. apparent, evident, ostensible, outward, superficial, surface, assumed, feigned, pretended, false, so-called, alleged, specious, purported, professed: She was shocked by his seeming indifference to her problems.

seemingly adv. apparently, evidently, ostensibly, outwardly, superficially, falsely, allegedly, speciously, purportedly, professedly, on the face of it, possibly, feasibly, conceivably, plausibly, believably: The purpose of this seemingly honest confession was to throw the detectives off the scent.

seemly adj. 1 proper, fitting, appropriate, becoming, suited, suitable, fit, befitting, apt, comme il faut, right, apropos,

see-saw n. 1 teeter: The children were playing on the see-saw.

--v. 2 teeter, totter, waver, vary, vacillate, oscillate, alternate, fluctuate, swing, switch: He couldn't make up his mind and kept see-sawing between staying and going.

seethe v. 1 boil, stew, simmer, foam: In the kitchen, a large pot of stew seethed on the stove. 2 stew, simmer, foam (at the mouth), fume, smoulder, burn, rage, rant, rave, become livid or feverish, be in ferment, be furious or incensed, Colloq blow one's stack or top, carry on, take on, get hot under the collar, get red in the face, get all steamed up: The ball sailed

through Mr Griffiths' new greenhouse and he came out seething

with rage.

see-through

adj. sheer, diaphanous, gauzy, transparent, translucent, gossamer, filmy, peekaboo: She was wearing a see-through neglig‚e when she appeared at the door.

segment n. 1 section, part, division, portion, component, element; piece, fraction, fragment, length, joint, slice, wedge: Only a narrow segment of the population supports the new measures. She divided the orange into three equal segments.

--v. 2 divide, partition, section, separate, part, cleave,

split, subdivide, fragment: The department was then further segmented into smaller units, each with its own manager.

segregate v. separate, segment, partition, isolate, seclude, sequester, set apart, compartmentalize, exclude, ostracize, discriminate against: In the sorting process, each size must be segregated into its own compartment. Their policy was to segregate the Blacks from the rest of the population.

segregation

n. separation, segmentation, partition, isolation, seclusion, sequestration, setting apart, compartmentalization, exclusion, ostracism, discrimination, apartheid, US Jim Crowism: No modern culture can long survive a segregation of the races.

seize v. 1 Sometimes, seize on. grab, grasp, clutch, take (hold of), grip, snatch: Robin felt that he had to seize every opportunity that presented itself. The dog seized the robber by the seat of the pants. 2 capture, catch, arrest, take into custody, take prisoner, apprehend, round up, Colloq pinch, nab, collar, pick up, Brit nick, Slang bust: The police seized him as he was trying to leave the country. 3 catch, transfix, stop, hold, possess, take possession of, afflict, beset, visit, subject: I

was seized by a sudden desire to kiss those quivering, pouting lips. 4 take advantage of, make good use of: When their attention was diverted, I seized the opportunity to escape. 5 confiscate, take (away), commandeer, appropriate, capture, take possession of, impound: Ten tons of cannabis was seized in the raid. 6 seize up, bind, jam, stop, lock (up), stick, freeze

(up): Because of the excessive heat, the gears seized and the