Cess

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A suffix used to denote the act of going or proceeding, commonly seen in words related to movement or process
2. An element forming part of terms that indicate the process of ceasing or stopping, as in cessation
3. A component in various words that signifies an action or state of yielding or withdrawal, reflecting a change in condition or position

Etymology: Standing alone, "cess" is a noun for a tax or levy. Edmund Spenser's writings, published in 1633, record it as a borrowing from Irish "cís", which likely descends from Latin "census", the Roman counting of people and property. Its best-known use is the curse "bad cess to you." In 1831, Samuel Lover used the phrase as long established and said it was an abbreviation of "success," meaning bad luck. The Oxford English Dictionary instead suggested either "success" or "assessment" in the sense of a levy, so the true origin of the curse is uncertain. The "-cess" ending in words like "process," "recess," and "success" is a different matter. It is not a standalone suffix. It comes from Latin "cedere," meaning "to go" or "to move," which explains the movement sense you mention. "Cease" is unrelated, entering English from Middle French "cesser."

Synonyms: tax, levy, impost, duty