Other forms: recesses
Recess is the short break between lessons when children play outside. At recess, after recess, recess duty.
This is the American word; British schools say break, break time or playtime. In politics, recess is the period when a parliament is not sitting: the summer recess, in recess — and it is the standard term in Britain too. In architecture, a recess is a small hollow space set back in a wall: an alcove or a recessed shelf. Note recessed lighting, and recession, which is a different word about the economy.
1nounrecessThe short break between lessons.
“Recess is about fifteen minutes and covers the whole playground.”
synonyms: break time, playtime
2nounperiodA period when a parliament is not sitting.
“The summer recess lasts about six weeks.”
3nounsmallA small hollow space set back in a wall.
“They fitted shelves into the recess beside the chimney.”
recess is a break or hollow.
Also accepted in games: break time, playtime
A recess is a going back. Latin recessus meant a retreat or a withdrawal, and also the nook you withdrew into, which is how one word ended up meaning both a break from school and an alcove in a wall.
Proto-Indo-European
*wer-
Latin
recessus
English, today
recess
Built from
Borrowed from Latin recessus. The noun is borrowed from Latin recessus (“act of going back, departure, receding, retiring; figuratively retreat, withdrawal; metonymically distant, secluded, or secret spot, corner, nook, retreat; recessed part, indentation”) (also Latin recessus (“decree or resolution of the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire”)), from recēdō (“to go back, recede, retire, withdraw; to go away, depart; by extension to disappear, vanish; to separate; to stand back, be distant; to yield”) (from re- + cēdō (“to go, move, proceed”)) + -tus; influenced by Middle French recès, French recès (“a break, pause; break between classes in school; school vacation; ebbing of tide; reduction”) (also Anglo-Norman recès and Old French recès (“hiding place; hollow”). decree is possibly influenced by Italian recesso and refers to a decree or resolution made just before a meeting ends.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA