fifthhand

English

Etymology

fifth +‎ hand

Adjective

fifthhand (not comparable)

1. Having been relayed by four intermediate sources.
2. Having had four previous owners.
   • 2002 March 1, Richard Traubner, “Mozart's Singspiel”, in Playbill‎^[1]:

     It was secondhand‹make that fourth- or fifthhand. This was from an era before any kind of copyright, when librettists were almost expected to steal from other works.