Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: SECOND2

sec

 noun
     
sec
1

a sec

spoken informal a very short period of time
hang on a sec/hold on a sec/just a sec etc (=wait a short time)
'Is Al there?' 'Hold on a sec, I'll check.'
in a sec
I'll be with you in a sec.
2 the written abbreviation of
second
:
Journey time: 25 mins 14 secs.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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