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Webster 1913 Edition

Recess

Re-cess′

(rē̍-sĕs′)
,
Noun.
[L.
recessus
, fr.
recedere
,
recessum
. See
Recede
.]
1.
A withdrawing or retiring; a moving back; retreat;
as, the
recess
of the tides
.
Every degree of ignorance being so far a
recess
and degradation from rationality.
South.
My
recess
hath given them confidence that I may be conquered.
Eikon Basilike.
2.
The state of being withdrawn; seclusion; privacy.
In the
recess
of the jury they are to consider the evidence.
Sir M. Hale.
Good verse
recess
and solitude requires.
Dryden.
3.
Remission or suspension of business or procedure; intermission, as of a legislative body, court, or school;
as, the children were allowed to play in the school yard during
recess
.
The
recess
of . . . Parliament lasted six weeks.
Macaulay.
4.
Part of a room formed by the receding of the wall, as an alcove, niche, etc.
A bed which stood in a deep
recess
.
W. Irving.
5.
A place of retirement, retreat, secrecy, or seclusion.
Departure from this happy place, our sweet
Recess
, and only consolation left.
Milton.
7.
(Bot. & Zool.)
A sinus.

Re-cess′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Recessed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Recessing
.]
To make a recess in;
as, to
recess
a wall
.

Re-cess′

,
Noun.
[G.]
A decree of the imperial diet of the old German empire.
Brande & C.

Webster 1828 Edition

Recess

RECESS'

,
Noun.
[L. recessus, from recedo. See Recede.]
1.
A withdrawing or retiring; a moving back; as the recess of the tides.
2.
A withdrawing from public business or notice; retreat; retirement.
My recess hath given them confidence that I may be conquered.
And every neighboring grove sacred to soft recess and gentle love.
3.
Departure.
4.
Place of retirement or secrecy; private abode.
This happy place, our sweet recess.
5.
State of retirement; as lords in close recess.
In the recess of the jury, they are to consider their evidence.
6.
Remission or suspension of business or procedure; as, the house of representatives had a recess of half an hour.
7.
Privacy; seclusion from the world or from company.
Good verse recess and solitude requires.
8.
Secret or abstruse part; as the difficulties and recesses of science.
9.
A withdrawing from any point; removal to a distance.
10.
An abstract or registry of the resolutions of the imperial diet. [Not in use.]
11.
The retiring of the shore of the sea or of a lake from the general line of the shore, forming a bay.

Definition 2024

recess

recess

English

Noun

recess ‎(plural recesses)

  1. (countable or uncountable) A break, pause or vacation.
    Spring recess offers a good chance to travel.
    • Macaulay
      The recess of […] Parliament lasted six weeks.
  2. An inset, hole, space or opening.
    Put a generous recess behind the handle for finger space.
    • Washington Irving
      a bed which stood in a deep recess
  3. (US) A time of play, usually, on a playground.
    Students who do not listen in class will not play outside during recess.
  4. A decree of the imperial diet of the old German empire.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Brande & C to this entry?)
  5. (archaic) A withdrawing or retiring; a moving back; retreat.
    the recess of the tides
    • South
      every degree of ignorance being so far a recess and degradation from rationality
    • Eikon Basilike
      My recess hath given them confidence that I may be conquered.
  6. (archaic) The state of being withdrawn; seclusion; privacy.
    • Sir M. Hale
      In the recess of the jury they are to consider the evidence.
    • Dryden
      Good verse recess and solitude requires.
  7. (archaic) A place of retirement, retreat, secrecy, or seclusion.
    • Milton
      Departure from his happy place, our sweet / Recess, and only consolation left.
  8. A secret or abstruse part.
    the difficulties and recesses of science
    (Can we find and add a quotation of I. Watts to this entry?)
  9. (botany, zoology) A sinus.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

recess ‎(third-person singular simple present recesses, present participle recessing, simple past and past participle recessed)

  1. To inset into something, or to recede.
    Wow, look at how that gargoyle recesses into the rest of architecture.
    Recess the **** so it does not stick out.
  2. (intransitive) To take or declare a break.
    This court shall recess for its normal two hour lunch now.
    Class will recess for 20 minutes.
  3. (transitive, informal) To appoint, with a recess appointment.
    • 2013, Michael Grunwald, "Cliff Dweller", in Time, ISSN 0040-781X, volume 181, number 1, 2013 January 14, page 27:
      To the National Rifle Association's delight, the Senate has hobbled the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by failing to confirm a director since 2006, but Obama hasn't made a recess appointment. […] "The President's view of his own power is a constrained one," says White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler. "Many of his nominees have languished, but he's only recessed the ones that were critical to keep agencies functioning."
  4. To make a recess in.
    to recess a wall

Translations

Adjective

recess

  1. (obsolete, rare) Remote, distant (in time or place).
    Thomas Salusbury: Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: I should think it best in the subsequent discourses to begin to examine whether the Earth be esteemed immoveable, as it hath been till now believed by most men, or else moveable, as some ancient Philosophers held, and others of not very recesse times were of opinion;

Anagrams

Swedish

Noun

recess c

  1. a decision, an agreement, a return (to previous conditions)
  2. a recess, a niche

Declension

Inflection of recess 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative recess recessen recesser recesserna
Genitive recess recessens recessers recessernas

Synonyms

  • återgång

References

Etymology

From Latin recessus.

Pronunciation

  • (US, UK) IPA(key): /ˈriː.sɛs/, /rɪ.ˈsɛs/

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