Secs

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɛks/

Definitions

1. Brief units of time equivalent to one sixtieth of a minute ; casual or informal shorthand to refer to short intervals used in everyday speech ; moments marked by rapid occurrence or quick actions
2. Standard measurement increments used in timing or recording duration ; informal term employed to indicate a very short period ; instances that are fleeting and pass rapidly within a brief window
3. Divisions of time commonly applied in clocks and timers ; colloquially used to suggest a short wait or pause ; brief moments characterized by swift changes or immediate transitions

Etymology: "Secs" is the plural of "sec," a clipped form of "second," the unit of time. The fuller word traces back through Middle English and Old French to Latin "secunda," the feminine of "secundus," meaning "following" or "second." The idea was that each sixtieth division of an hour was a second division after the first, a reckoning that went back to the Babylonian habit of counting in sixties. The shortened "sec" is a informal clipping, and its plural "secs" is the form used in everyday speech for short stretches of time, as in "wait a few secs." Writers and speakers also use it loosely for any quick moment, which stretches the unit well beyond its exact sixtieth-of-a-minute meaning.

Synonyms: seconds, moments, instants, jiffies, ticks