cess

• IPA^(key): /sɛs/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

Shortened form of assess, spelled by analogy with census and other Latinate words.

cess (plural cesses)

1. (Britain, Ireland) An assessed tax.
   • 1596, Spenser, A View of the Present State of Ireland‎:

     Cess is none other than that which you yourself called imposition...

2. (Britain, Ireland, informal) Luck.
3. (obsolete) Bound; measure.
   • Shakespeare

     The poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.

cess (third-person singular simple present cesses, present participle cessing, simple past and past participle cessed)

1. (Britain, Ireland) To levy a cess.
   • 1596, Spenser, A View of the Present State of Ireland‎:

     ...according to the quantity thereof, we may cess the said rent and allowance issuing thereout.

• bad cess

• cease
• cessation

Possibly from an archaic dialect word meaning "bog".

the cess is the low area either side of the track

cess (plural cesses)

1. (rail transport) The area along either side of a railroad track which is kept at a lower level than the sleeper bottom, in order to provide drainage.

• cess path
• cess heave

• cesspool
• cesspit

French cesser. See cease.

cess (third-person singular simple present cesses, present participle cessing, simple past and past participle cessed)

1. (obsolete) To cease; to neglect.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

• CSEs, ECSS, ESCs, secs, secs.

cess n

1. C-flat

• ciss