cess
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: For the first meaning below, the writings of Edmund Spenser, published 1633, point to a borrowing from Irish cís (“tax, tribute, cess, rent”), likely from Latin census.
Other senses: Uncertain. Occurs in print at least as early as 1831, when Samuel Lover used the expression as one already long-established. He unambiguously stated the derivation of cess in the malediction bad cess to be an abbreviation of success. The OED speculated that it either was from success or from assessment meaning a military or governmental exaction. The verb is attested in Middle English (cessen).
Inflected forms:
form: cesses
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: cesses
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: cessing
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: cessed
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: cessed
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: An assessed tax, duty, or levy; billeting.
pos: noun
tags: India
Ireland
UK
examples: EUDOX[US] But what is that which you call Cess? it is a Word sure unused amongst us here; therefore (I pray you) expound the same. IREN[EUS] Cess is none other than that which you yourself called Imposition, but is in a kind unacquainted perhaps unto you; for there are Cesses of sundry sorts: one is the Cessing of Soldiers upon the Countrey; [...] Another kind of Cess is, the imposing of Provisions for the Governours Housekeeping, [...]
The act provides for a levy of a cess on all coal and coke despatched from collieries in India, at such rate, not less than twenty-five paise and not more than fifty paise per ton, as may be fixed by the Central Government.
Therefore it was proposed to levy a cess on local authorities which are entrusted with the duty of supplying water under the law by or under which they are constituted and on certain specified industries.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) overhaul will make cars cheaper this festive season across segments. Entry-level and mid-segment cars priced up to ₹14 lakh will see up to a 13% reduction in GST and cess, making them more attractive to a price-sensitive customer base. High-end cars with engines above 1200 cc are set to become 5–10% cheaper. Small cars that run on petrol, LPG and CNG with engines below 1200 cc, and diesel cars of up to 1500 cc and with a length under 4 metres will attract a GST of 18% instead of 28%. The cess of 1% and 3% will no longer be applicable.
gloss: Usually preceded by good or (more commonly) bad: luck or success.
pos: noun
tags: Ireland
UK
informal
examples: "Bad cess may attend you, where are you scampering to, you rambunctious"—but she could go no farther; the tears burst from her, and she gave way, without farther resistance, to an explosion of grief.
Midland has had good cess with using minute commercials eight television stations, cited as one example of modernizing its advertising.
It is good cess to feel the warmth and sincerity of this couple who fill the role of the Queen's representative in Canada.
Bad cess to it, b'ys! Where's the blessed ting, at all, at all? Bad cess to it!
gloss: Bound; measure.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: The poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.
gloss: To levy a cess.
pos: verb
tags: Ireland
UK
examples: ...according to the quantity thereof, we may cess the said rent and allowance issuing thereout.
Translations: