Secondary

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈsÉ›kÉ™nd(É™)rɪ/

Origin

From the Latin secundārius ("of the second class or quality"), from secundus (whence the English second) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French secondaire, the Italian secondario, the Occitan secundari, the Portuguese secundario, and the Spanish secundario.

Full definition of secondary

Adjective

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. (zootomy) Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
6. (medicine) Dependent or consequent upon another disease; as, Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever; or occurring in the second stage of a disease; as, the secondary symptoms of syphilis.
7. Of less than primary importance.
• 1992, Deborah Bernstein, Pioneers and Homemakers: Jewish Women in Pre-state Israel, 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.

Coordinate terms

Noun

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
• ShakespeareOld Escalus ... is thy secondary.
7. (astronomy) A secondary circle.
8. (astronomy) A satellite.