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Glite Dictionary
second string player

second string player

3.9
A player who does not start games and replaces starters when needed
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛkənd strɪŋ ˈpleɪər/
translation icon : jugador de reserva
  • The second string player was ready when the starter got injured.

Examples

  • Even as a second string player, she contributed greatly to the team's success.

  • The coach relies on every second string player during a long season.

  • After months of hard work, he was promoted from second string player to the starting lineup.

  • A second string player is crucial for the team.

  • The second string player stepped up and played remarkably well when the starter was injured.

  • As a second string player, he trained hard to be ready for any opportunity during the season.

  • During practice, the second string player showed great skills, impressing the coach and teammates.

Synonyms

stringer
vssecond string player
18 8.0

A player who is a regular starter or a backup on a team

is specifically a non-starting backup rather than any ranked team member
second-stringer
vssecond string player
  • US
1 7.5

A player who usually sits on the bench and replaces others during games

is the backup who is not in the starting lineup

Antonyms

starter
140 3.0

A player who begins the game on the field or court

How Often

key player
40 3.2
starter
140 3.0
second string player
3.9
reserve
112 3.7
bencher
  • Jargon
1 7.9

Surface Forms

second string player singular
second string players plural

Morphology

2nd + string + player

The meaning 'a backup or non-starting team member' is partly inferable from 'second' (following first) and 'player', but it crucially depends on the specialized sports sense of 'string' meaning a lineup or tier. That sports-specific use of 'string' is jargon-like and may not be obvious to a B1 learner without exposure, so the phrase is only partly transparent despite cross-linguistic parallels for the concept.

Etymology

The phrase second string player comes from imagining a team with a first line of starters and a second string of players waiting behind them. So a second string player is a 'backup' who is not in the 'starting lineup' and comes on when needed.