Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CES'PI-TOUS, a.

Pertaining to turf; turfy. A cespitous or turfy plant, has many stems from the same root, usually forming a close thick carpet or matting. – Martyn.

CESS, n. [or v.]

(as a noun, a rate or tax, and as a verb, to rate or lay a tax,) is probably a corruption of assess, or from the same root. It is not used. – Spenser.

CESS, v.i. [L. cesso, to cease.]

To neglect a legal duty. [Obs.] – Cowel.

CESS'ANT, a.

Ceasing; intermitting action. – Montague.

CES-SA'TION, n. [L. cessatio, from cesso, to cease.]

1. A ceasing; a stop; a rest; the act of discontinuing motion or action of any kind, whether temporary or final.
2. A ceasing or suspension of operation, force or effect; as, a cessation of the laws of nature. A cessation of arms, an armistice or truce, agreed to by the commanders of armies, to give time for a capitulation, or for other purposes.

CES-SA'VIT, n. [L. cesso, to cease, cessavit, he hath ceased.]

In law, a writ given by statute, to recover lands, when the tenant or occupier has ceased for two years to perform the service, which constitutes the condition of his tenure, and has not sufficient goods or chattels to be distrained, or the tenant has so inclosed the land that the lord cannot come upon it to distrain. – Blackstone.

CES'SER, n. [See Cess.]

A ceasing; a neglect to perform services or payment for two years. [See Cessavit.] – Blackstone.

CES-SI-BIL'I-TY, n. [See Cede and Cession.]

The act of giving way or receding. [Little used.] – Digby.

CES'SI-BLE, a. [See Cede.]

Giving way; yielding; easy to give way. – Digby.

CES'SION, n. [L. cessio; Fr. cession; from L. cedo, cessum. See Cede.]

1. The act of giving way; a yielding to force or impulse. – Bacon.
2. A yielding, or surrender, as of property or rights, to another person; particularly; a surrender of conquered territory to its former proprietor or sovereign, by treaty.
3. In the civil law, a voluntary surrender of a person's effects to his creditors, to avoid imprisonment. – Encyc.
4. In ecclesiastical law, the leaving of a benefice without dispensation or being otherwise qualified. When an ecclesiastical person is created a bishop, or when the parson of a parish takes another benefice, without dispensation, the benefices are void by cession, without resignation. – Encyc.

CES'SION-A-RY, a.

Having surrendered effects; as, a cessionary bankrupt. – Martin.

CESS'MENT, n.

An assessment or tax. [Not used.]

CES'SOR, n. [L. cesso, to cease.]

1. In law, he that neglects, for two years, to perform the service by which he holds lands, so that he incurs the danger of the writ of cessavit. [See Cessavit.] – Cowel.
2. An assessor, or taxer.

CESS'-POOL, n.

See SESS-POOL.

CEST, n. [Infra.]

A lady's girdle. – Collins.

CEST'US, n. [L. from Gr. κεστος.]

The girdle of Venus, or marriage-girdle, among the Greeks and Romans.

CE-SU'RA, or CE'SURE, n. [Fr. césure; It. cesura; L. cæsura, from cædo, cæsum, to cut off.]

A pause in verse, so introduced as to aid the recital, and tender the versification more melodious. It divides a verse or line into equal or unequal parts. Its most pleasing effect is produced, when it is placed at the end of the second foot, or in the middle, or at the end of the third foot. – Sheridan.

CE'SU-RAL, a.

Pertaining to the cesure.

CE-TA'CE-A, or CE-TA'CE-AN, n.

In natural history, the order of Cetaceous animals; marine mammalis. [See the next word.] – Bell.

CE-TA'CE-OUS, a. [L. cete; Gr. κητος, a whale.]

Pertaining to the whale; belonging to the whale kind. The cetaceous fishes include the genera Monodon, Balæna, Physeter and Delphinus. They have no gills, but an aperture on the top of the head, and a flat or horizontal tail. They are predaceous in their habits. – Encyc.

CE'TATE, n.

A compound of cetic acid, with a base. – Chevreul.

CET'E-RACH, n.

A trivial name of a species of Asplenium, or spleen-wort.

CE'TIC, a. [L. cetus, a whale.]

Pertaining to the whale. The cynic acid is a peculiar substance obtained from the spermaceti. – Ure.

CE'TIN, n. [L. cetus, a whale.]

A name given to spermaceti by Chevreul.

CET-O-LOG'I-CAL, a. [from cetology.]

Pertaining to cetology.