a second father

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keannu

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This might be a trivial question, but I think "a second" means just "another", not implying any order, while "the second" means "the next after the first in order". Can "a second" have the meaning of order?

44)My father did not think about hiring someone for his new boat when he bought it, indeed. But soon, he realized that the new boat was going to be a lot of work and decided to hire Jimmy after several friends recommended him as a capable handyman. It did not take long for Jimmy to prove that my father’s friends were right about him. My father trusted him more and more and allowed me to spend a lot of time with Jimmy. Because of the time we spent together, we became really good friends. Eventually, he became like a second father to me. My father taught me many things, always showing his interest in my education. But Jimmy taught me a lot more about nature. I loved every minute of the time I spent with him and he became one of my best friends. Because of my sincere friendship with him, I grew up without any prejudice.
 

Gillnetter

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This might be a trivial question, but I think "a second" means just "another", not implying any order, while "the second" means "the next after the first in order". Can "a second" have the meaning of order?

44)My father did not think about hiring someone for his new boat when he bought it, indeed. But soon, he realized that the new boat was going to be a lot of work and decided to hire Jimmy after several friends recommended him as a capable handyman. It did not take long for Jimmy to prove that my father’s friends were right about him. My father trusted him more and more and allowed me to spend a lot of time with Jimmy. Because of the time we spent together, we became really good friends. Eventually, he became like a second father to me. My father taught me many things, always showing his interest in my education. But Jimmy taught me a lot more about nature. I loved every minute of the time I spent with him and he became one of my best friends. Because of my sincere friendship with him, I grew up without any prejudice.
Yes, I believe that your understanding of a sense of order is correct. One can have a second father, a second mother, even a second car; with the second always being somewhat less than the first, but still important.
 
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