recess

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable) A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.
2. (countable, uncountable) A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.
3. (countable, plural-normally, slang, uncountable) A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.
4. (countable) A hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place.
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place.
6. (countable, figuratively, plural-normally, uncountable) A hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place.
7. (countable) A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.
8. (countable, uncountable) A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.
9. (Australia, British, Canada, Philippines, US, countable, uncountable) A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.
10. (archaic, countable) An act of retiring or withdrawing; a moving back.
11. (countable, historical) A decree or resolution of the diet of the Holy Roman Empire or the Hanseatic League.
12. (countable, obsolete) An act of retiring or withdrawing from public life, society, etc.; also, an act of living in retirement or seclusion, or a period of such retirement or seclusion.
13. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Leisure, relaxation.
14. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The state of being withdrawn.
15. (countable, figuratively, obsolete) A departure from a norm or position.
16. (countable, figuratively, obsolete) A time interval during which something ceases; an interruption, a respite.
17. (countable) An overall-concave, reentrant section of a sinuous fold and thrust belt, thrust sheet, or a single thrust fault, caused by one or more of: deformation (folding and faulting) of strata and geologic structures during orogenesis, differences in the angle of critical taper during orogenesis, or differing erosional level of the present geomorphological surface.

Adj

Of a place or time: distant, remote.

Verb

1. (transitive) To position (something) a distance behind another thing; to set back.
2. (often, transitive) To make a recess (noun sense 1 and sense 1.1) in (something).
3. (also, often, reflexive, transitive) Often preceded by in or into: to inset (something) into a recess or niche.
4. (figuratively, transitive) To conceal, to hide.
5. (US, transitive) To temporarily suspend (a meeting, the proceedings of an official body, etc.).
6. (US, informal, transitive) To make a recess appointment in respect of (someone).
7. (US, intransitive) Of a meeting, the proceedings of an official body, etc.: to adjourn, to take a break.
8. (US, intransitive) Of an official body: to suspend proceedings for a period of time.

Opposite of

salient

Synonyms

break

niche

intermission

rest

respite

pause

alcove

interval

bay

recreation

vacation

adjourn

recession

interlude

depression

adjournment

corner

break up

playtime

notch

lull

repose

hollow

nook

cavity

countersink

time out

time-out

gap

time off

relaxation

pit

rut

leisure

indent

indentation

deferral

hiatus

inlet

set

dap

cubbyhole

calmness

cranny

calm

apsis

composure

breathing space

grooving

closet

Translations

Pause

pause

repos

pauze

pausa

rust

niche

récréation

descanso

vacances

hueco

Nische

Aussparung

pausa

trêve

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹɪˈsɛs/

Etymology

Cognate with Middle French: recès

Cognate with French: recès

Cognate with Anglo-Norman: recès

Cognate with Old French: recès

Cognate with Italian: recesso

Cognate with Catalan: recés

Cognate with Portuguese: recesso

Cognate with Spanish: receso

In summary

The noun is borrowed from Latin recessus (“act of going back, departure, receding, retiring; (figuratively) retreat, withdrawal; (metonymically) distant, secluded, or secret spot, corner, nook, retreat; recessed part, indentation”) (also Late Latin recessus (“decree or resolution of the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire”)), from recēdō (“to go back, recede, retire, withdraw; to go away, depart; (by extension) to disappear, vanish; to separate; to stand back, be distant; to yield”) (from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards’) + cēdō (“to go, move, proceed”)) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns from verbs); influenced by Middle French recès, French recès (“a break, pause; break between classes in school; school vacation; ebbing of tide; reduction”) (also Anglo-Norman recès and Old French recès (“hiding place; hollow”).
Sense 5 (“decree or resolution of the diet of the Holy Roman Empire, etc.”) is possibly influenced by Italian recesso and refers to a decree or resolution made just before a meeting ends.
The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.
Cognates
* Catalan recés
* Italian recesso
* Middle French recès (modern French recès)
* Portuguese recesso
* Spanish receso