second gear

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

second gear (countable and uncountable, plural second gears)

1. The second of the available gears in a transmission or other gearbox.

   Synonym: second (elliptical)

   Coordinate terms: low gear, first gear, third gear, fourth gear, fifth gear; top gear, overdrive; angel gear, neutral

2. (idiomatic, figuratively) Mediocre, sluggish performance.

   Antonym: top gear

   stuck in second gear

   • 2011 March 2, Chris Whyatt, “Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient”, in BBC‎:

     The hosts remained in second gear after the break although Orient, with impressive Daniels a constant outlet down the right, did at least show a sense of adventure.

Derived terms

• second-gear valuation

Translations

second lowest gear

Catalan: segona (ca) f Finnish: kakkosvaihde, kakkonen (fi), toinen vaihde Macedonian: втора брзина f (vtora brzina) Polish: drugi bieg m Russian: втора́я переда́ча f (vtorája peredáča)

mediocre performance

Finnish: vajaateho Polish: drugi bieg m

See also

• downshift
• upshift

Anagrams

• dance-goers, dancegoers