RECESS • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Recess

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/rɪsˈɛs/ /rˈisɛs/ Listen

noun

Recess n.

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." "My recess hath given them confidence that I may be conquered."

2.

The state of being withdrawn; seclusion; privacy. "In the recess of the jury they are to consider the evidence." "Good verse recess and solitude requires."

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."

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."

5.

A place of retirement, retreat, secrecy, or seclusion. "Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recess, and only consolation left."

6.

Secret or abstruse part; as, the difficulties and recesses of science; the deepest recesses of the mind.

7.

(Bot. & Zool.) A sinus.

Recess n. A decree of the imperial diet of the old German empire.

verb

Recess v. t. (past & past part. recessed; pres. part. recessing) To make a recess in; as, to recess a wall.

See images of 'Recess'

Etymology of 'Recess'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Recess" Quotes from Famous Books

... lad of less than eighteen. He could have faced a grizzly bear, but when it came to the supernatural he was not equal to it. The fact was he was dead scared, and, then again he believed he had really struck the hidden recess where the ...

— A Desperate Chance - The Wizard Tramp's Revelation, A Thrilling Narrative • Old Sleuth (Harlan P. Halsey)

... hit him a sharp rap. Tables followed, eight and nine times; dry measure, and then questions were asked singly. Some few missed. Cynthia followed the spelling where they went up and down. Then the larger ones were dismissed for recess. ...

— A Little Girl in Old Salem • Amanda Minnie Douglas

... No, not Mister. This is your hat, I think [giving it to him]. Gloves? No, of course: no gloves. Good day to you. [He edges him out at last; shuts the door on him; and returns to Sir Patrick as Ridgeon and Walpole come back from the recess, Walpole crossing the room to the hat-stand, and Ridgeon coming between Sir Ralph and Sir Patrick]. Poor fellow! Poor young fellow! How well he died! I feel a better ...

— The Doctor's Dilemma • George Bernard Shaw

... return, I linger long to a delicious song-epilogue (is it the hermit-thrush?) from some bushy recess off there in the swamp, repeated leisurely and pensively over and over again. This, to the circle-gambols of the swallows flying by dozens in concentric rings in the last rays of sunset, like flashes ...

— Complete Prose Works - Specimen Days and Collect, November Boughs and Goodbye My Fancy • Walt Whitman

... response, and then, her eyes staring into the shadowy recess, she saw the curtains at the back side of the bed were parting as a figure appeared ...

— The Palace of Darkened Windows • Mary Hastings Bradley

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