second-homer: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowColloquial, Informal
Quick answer
What does “second-homer” mean?
A person who owns and occupies a second home, often used as a vacation property or weekend retreat.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who owns and occupies a second home, often used as a vacation property or weekend retreat.
A person, typically a tourist or visitor, who arrives later in the day or after the first wave of visitors to a destination, often resulting in crowds or reduced availability. Also refers to the less favored runner-up in a race or competition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the term is strongly associated with property ownership and the socioeconomic issues in rural/vacation communities. In American English, the property sense is less common; the tourism pattern sense might be more readily understood.
Connotations
UK: Often negative in property debates. US: More neutral, primarily descriptive of visitation patterns.
Frequency
Much more frequent in UK media, especially regional news discussing housing crises. Rare in general US English.
Grammar
How to Use “second-homer” in a Sentence
The + ADJ + second-homer + VERBSecond-homers + from + PLACEBe/V-tobe + a second-homerVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “second-homer” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The second-homer community is growing.
- We noticed a second-homer trend in the village.
American English
- Second-homer traffic is heavy on holiday weekends.
- The town has a second-homer problem.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in tourism market analysis reports discussing visitor flows.
Academic
Rare. Could appear in sociology/geography papers on rural gentrification or tourism studies.
Everyday
Used in informal discussion about property, holidays, or crowded destinations.
Technical
Not a technical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “second-homer”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “second-homer”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “second-homer”
- Using 'second-homer' to mean a person who is homely for a second time (incorrect).
- Confusing it with 'second home' itself (the property vs. the person).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily a colloquial or journalistic term, not used in formal legal or administrative documents.
No, it is not standard to use it as a verb. It functions as a compound noun.
A second-homer specifically owns a property in the location they visit, whereas a tourist typically rents accommodation or stays in hotels.
It can be perceived as mildly pejorative in communities where second-home ownership is a sensitive issue, painting owners as outsiders. It is generally descriptive but context-dependent.
A person who owns and occupies a second home, often used as a vacation property or weekend retreat.
Second-homer: in British English it is pronounced /ˌsɛkənd ˈhəʊmə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌsɛkənd ˈhoʊmər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'homer' as in 'homeowner', and 'second' as in 'second place' or 'another one'. A second-homer is a homeowner for a second property.
Conceptual Metaphor
OWNERSHIP IS PRESENCE (A person is defined/metonymically named by their secondary property).
Practice
Quiz
In a British context, what is the most common implication of the term 'second-homer'?