secondant

Borrowed from French secondant. Equivalent to seconderen +‎ -ant.

• IPA^(key): /ˌseː.kɔnˈdɑnt/, /sə.kɔnˈdɑnt/

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• Hyphenation: se‧con‧dant
• Rhymes: -ɑnt

secondant m (plural secondanten, diminutive secondantje n)

1. (formal) a second, a prominent aide or assistant, chiefly one who is left in charge when a superior is absent
2. a second (attendant of a duel or boxing match standing in for a contestant)
3. (historical) a second teacher, one substituting a headteacher when necessary (chiefly used for former times when schools frequently had only one or a few teachers)

• IPA^(key): /sə.ɡɔ̃.dɑ̃/

secondant m (plural secondants)

1. second (attendant of a duel or boxing match standing in for a contestant)
   • 1798, a letter written in London on the 21 of May, published in Матеріалы, book 3 (1890), page 286:

     Sur quoi m-r Tierney ne dit mot, mais il envoya le lendemain un cartel à m-r Pitt, qui l’accepta et se rendit avant-hier à l’endroit indiqué, de même que m-r Tierney de son côté, chacun accompagné de son secondant.

     Upon which Mr Tierney did not say a word; however, the next day he sent a cartel [a written challenge to a duel] to Mr Pitt, who accepted it and went the day before yesterday to the specified place, as did Mr Tierney for his part, each accompanied by his second.

   • 1820, Parémiographie français-allemand, page 112:

     Jadis, lorsqu’il s’élevait une contestation dans une assemblée quelconque, et que les parties disputantes ne pouvaient tomber d’accord, il s’ensuivait un combat dans lequel chacun avait son secondant.

     In the past, whenever a dispute arose in an assembly and the opposing parties could not come to an agreement, there followed a fight in which each man had a second.

   • 1904, Max Rooses and Ch. Ruelens, Correspondance de Rubens et documents épistolaires concernant sa vie et ses œuvres (Rubens' correspondence and letters concerning his life and his works), Volume 4, page 261:

     Au mois de janvier 1627, il se battit en duel contre le sieur de la Frete. Dans cette rencontre, son secondant fut tué par celui de son adversaire.

     In January 1627, he fought a duel with Sir de la Frete. In that encounter, his second was killed by that of his adversary.

2. (sports) assistant, coach, trainer

secondant

1. present participle of seconder

• “secondant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• décantons

secondant m (plural secondanți)

1. Alternative form of secundant