Different meanings of the word second have evolved from the same background, which is the Latin word secundus, which means "next" or "following." Many of the meanings of second follow that idea of a linear "next," including "second base" (comes after "first base").

Why do we call it a second?

This tradition dates back to the Babylonian. In science, a second is the time it takes for a caesium atom to vibrate 9,192,631,770 (around 9 billion) times. Scientists measure the second this way because the length of a day changes all the time. For example, when the dinosaurs lived, a day was about an hour shorter.

Where do the words minute and second come from?

Historically, the word "minute" comes from the Latin pars minuta prima, meaning "first small part". This division of the hour can be further refined with a "second small part" (Latin: pars minuta secunda), and this is where the word "second" comes from.