recess

noun

1. 1

   A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.

   Put a generous recess behind the handle for finger space.

   [T]he Sun, the great eye of the vvorld, prying into the receſſes of rocks, and the hollovvneſſe of valleys, receives ſpecies, or viſible forms from theſe objects, but he beholds them onely by that light vvhich proceeds from himſelf: […]

   VVithin a Mountain's hollovv VVomb, there lies / A large Receſs, conceal'd from Human Eyes; […]

   VVithin a long Receſs there lies a Bay, / An Iſland ſhades it from the rovvling Sea, […]

2. 2

   A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening. A small space created by building part of a wall further back from the rest; a niche.

   [T]he Harmony, Proportion and Beauty of Buildings are equally admirable, vvhether they be executed in plain Free-ſtone, or the moſt beautiful Marble; vvhether the Carvings or Mouldings be gilt or not; the Receſſes or Panels in the VValls be curiouſly painted, or only plaiſter'd.

   My uncle now clambered on top of the half score of mattresses which form a French bed, and which stood in a deep recess; […]

   [T]he soldier looked to the oriel windows. The recesses within them were raised a step or two from the wall.

   Uncertain where to go next, and bewildered by the crowd of people who were already astir, they sat down in one of the recesses of the bridge, to rest.

3. 3

   slangA depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening. The place in a prison where the communal lavatories are located.

4. 4

   A hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place.

   The recesses of the forest answered well the purposes of concealment, and Lucy was useful both as an unsuspected messenger, and also for the intelligence she was able to obtain.

   [I]n the recesses of the palace her mysterious figure was at once invisible and omnipresent.

   They gathered soberly in the farthest recess of the ward and gossiped about him in malicious, offended undertones, rebelling against his presence as a ghastly imposition and resenting him malevolently for the nauseating truth of which he was bright reminder.

5. 5

   archaicA hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place. A place of retirement, retreat, or seclusion.

   [U]s hitherto this Corner and ſecret receſſe hath defended, novv the Vttermoſt point of our Land is laid open: and things the leſſe they haue beene vvithin knovvledge, the greater the glorie is to atchieue them.

   [T]hy tidings bring, / Departure from this happy place, our ſweet / Receſs, and onely conſolation left / Familiar to our eyes, all places elſe / Inhoſpitable appeer and deſolate, […]

   His cousin June—and coming straight to his recess!

6. 6

   figurativeA hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place. An obscure, remote, or secret situation.

   the difficulties and recesses of science

   […] Momus […] ſeeing in the frame of mans heart, ſuch Angles and receſſes, founde fault there vvas not a vvindovve to looke into them: […]

   […] GOD not onely ſerving himſelf vvith truth out of the mouthes of impious perſons, but magnifying the receſſes of his Counſell and VViſdome and Predeſtination, vvho uſes the ſame Doctrine to glorifie himſelf and to confound his enemies, […]

   [P]enitential Sorrovv vvill, and muſt proceed much farther. It muſt force, and make its vvay into the very inmoſt Corners, and Receſſes of the Soul; […]

7. 7

   A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.

   Spring recess offers a good chance to travel.

8. 8

   A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause. A period of time when the proceedings of a committee, court of law, parliament, or other official body are temporarily suspended.

   After the Easter recess, Sir George Lynn, who was lately elected member for Millcote, will have to go up to town and take his seat; […]

   The recess of the English Parliament lasted six weeks.

9. 9

   A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause. A time away from studying during the school day for a meal or recreation.

   Students who do not listen in class will not play outside during recess.

10. 10

    archaicAn act of retiring or withdrawing; a moving back.

    the recess of the tides

    And his Receſſe from the Church, ye proffe not othervviſe, than by the Fame and comon Opinion of thoſe Parts; […]

    [M]oſt of the other lakes, becauſe they come from Linnes, and huge pooles, or ſuch lowe bottomes, fedde with ſpringes, as ſeeme to haue no acceſſe, but onelye receſſe of waters, wherof there be many in Scotlande.

    This their vvorke [spiders' webs] being finiſhed, […] they hold as it vvere in theyr hands a thred dravvne from the middeſt or Center, by vvhich they haue eaſie acceſſe and receſſe to and fro to their beguiling nets; […]

11. 11

    historicalA decree or resolution of the diet of the Holy Roman Empire or the Hanseatic League.

    Conformably to this a receſs [the Recess of Augsburg] vvas framed, approved of, and publiſhed vvith the uſual formalities. […] Such are the capital articles in this famous Receſs, vvhich is the baſis of religious peace in Germany, […]

    Besides the fundamental laws and the capitulations, the constitution of the Empire was contained in the Recesses or collections of Decrees of the Diet, which was the general legislative body of the whole Federal union; […]

12. 12

    obsoleteAn 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.

    First we went to the Castle of St. Elmo, built on a very high rock, whence we had an intire prospect of yᵉ whole Citty, which lyes in shape of a theatre upon the sea brinke, with all the circumjacent islands, as far as Capreæ, famous for the debauched recesses of Tiberius.

    The ſoft Receſſes of Your Hours improve / The Three fair Pledges of Your Happy Love: […]

    […] When the Evidence is fully given, the Jurors withdraw to a private Place, […] In this Receſs of the Jury they are to conſider their Evidence, […]

    [D]uring my Receſs at St Jones’s I receiv’d a very obliging Letter from him, aſſuring me that his Proceſs for a Divorce vvent on vvith Succeſs, tho’ he met vvith ſome Difficulties in it that he did not expect.

13. 13

    obsoleteLeisure, relaxation.

    It [Rome] is divided into 14 Regions or Wards; has 7 Mountaines, and as may Campi or Vally's; in these are faire Parks or Gardens call'd Villas, being onely places of recesse and pleasure, at some distance from the streetes, yet within the walls.

    A small part of this subject many years since had dropped from my pen; but looking, at some opportunities, upon the argument, I thought some things more considerable might be deduced; and applying myself further, at times of recess, I felt it grow and multiply under my imagination: […]

    Fair Thames ſhe haunts, and ev'ry neighb'ring Grove / Sacred to ſoft Receſs, and gentle Love.

    His hours of leiſure and receſs employs, / In dravving pictures of forbidden joys, […]

14. 14

    obsoleteThe state of being withdrawn.

    Good Verſe, receſs and Solitude requires: / And Eaſe from Cares, and undiſturb'd Deſires.

15. 15

    figurativeA departure from a norm or position.

    This, part of METAPHISICKE: I doe not finde laboured and performed, vvhereat I maruaile not, Becauſe I hold it not poſſible to bee inuented by that courſe of inuention vvhich hath beene vſed, in regard that men (vvhich is the Roote of all error) haue made too untimely a departure, and to[o] remote a receſſe from particulars.

    The external maladies are. 1. Tumours, vvhich are receſſes of the parts of mans body, from the natural ſtate, […]

16. 16

    figurativeA time interval during which something ceases; an interruption, a respite.

    But in the end (as Perſons capable of reaſon) on both ſides they made rather a kind of Receſſe, then a Breach of Treaty, and concluded vpon a Truce for ſome moneths follovving.

    But ſo the Fates, for Puniſhment ordain'd, / The ſmall Receſs the vveary Land obtain'd; / So little Breath to riſing Freedom gave, / 'Tvvas hard to knovv the Subject from the Slave.

17. 17

    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.

    Orogenic arcs are made up by more advanced segments (salients) separated by less advanced zones (recesses) (Miser, 1932). Within salients, the critical taper is lower, the distance among thrust ramps is larger, and there may be more ramps departing from the basal décollement layer with respect to the recess areas.

18. 18

    An extension or outpouching of a cavity (e.g. articular recess, peritoneal recess,...)

adjective

1. 1

   obsoleteOf a place or time: distant, remote.

   […] I ſhould think it beſt in the ſubſequent diſcourſes to begin to examine vvhether the Earth be eſteemed immoveable, as it hath been till novv believed by moſt men, or elſe moveable, as ſome ancient Philoſophers held, and others of not very receſſe times vvere of opinion; and if it be moveable, to enquire of vvhat kind its motion may be?

verb

1. 1

   To position (something) a distance behind another thing; to set back.

   His house stood recessed from the road, and the stables, which are to a farm what a fireplace is to a house, were behind, their lower portions being lost amid bushes of laurel.

   It will also enable slower-moving freight trains to be recessed in the new down goods loop to await, if necessary, a suitable margin before proceeding to Stafford or Stoke and so reduce confliction with other main-line trains.

2. 2

   To make a recess (noun senses 1 and 1.1) in (something).

   to recess a wall

3. 3

   Often preceded by in or into: to inset (something) into a recess or niche.

   That gargoyle recesses into the rest of architecture.

   Recess the screw so it does not stick out.

4. 4

   figurativeTo conceal, to hide.

   Get near fat Mr. Dutton, and behind the screen of his prodigious elbow, you will be comfortably recessed from curious impertinents.

5. 5

   To temporarily suspend (a meeting, the proceedings of an official body, etc.).

   When Congress is recessed, he makes himself acquainted with those free United States, of which he is the gifted son.

6. 6

   informalTo make a recess appointment in respect of (someone).

7. 7

   Of a meeting, the proceedings of an official body, etc.: to adjourn, to take a break.

   Class will recess for 20 minutes.

   The meeting was recessed at midday.

8. 8

   Of an official body: to suspend proceedings for a period of time.

   This court shall recess for its lunch break now.

   The court recessed early for the weekend.

Forms

plural

recesses

comparative

more recess

superlative

most recess

past tense

recessed

past participle

recessed

present participle

recessing

third person singular

recesses