Meanings
comparative more thirdhand · superlative most thirdhand
- Having been relayed by two intermediate sources.
Considering that we had heard of one another in a rather third-hand manner, I was surprised at the warmth and energy with which he received me.
1983 August 13, Michael Ross, “Our Common Bond: Gay Men in East Germany”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 5, page 181 more example
Harare, the capital, was abuzz on Tuesday with such so-called insider accounts, each one undoubtedly taking new plot twists as they went from secondhand to thirdhand and further on.
2008 April 2, The New York Times, “Talks May End Mugabe’s Rule in Zimbabwe”, in New York Times - Having had two previous owners.
comparative more thirdhand · superlative most thirdhand · alternative third-hand
- By two intermediates.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivederived from what is primary or original by two intermediate steps
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with thirdhand
Cite this entry
thirdhand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thirdhand
“thirdhand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thirdhand. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thirdhand,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thirdhand.
Source: thirdhand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.