surcease
UK /səˈsiːs/ · US /ˈsɝˌsis/ noun, verb
Forms surceases surceasing surceased
- noun Cessation; stop, stopping; end. Respite, intermission.
- verb (intransitive) To come to an end; to desist.
- verb (transitive) To bring to an end.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman surseser, from Old French sursis, past participle of surseoir, from Latin supersedēre. Spelling later influenced by association with unrelated cease, which likely also influenced the meaning. Related to supersede.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Cessation; stop; end. "Not desire, but its surcease." Longfellow.
- verb To cause to cease; to end. [Obs.] "The waves . . . their range surceast." Spenser.
- verb To cease. [Obs.]
Etymology [F. sursis, from sursis, p.p. of surseoir to suspend, postpone, defer, in OF., to delay, refrain from, forbear, L. supersedere. Surcease is not connected with E. cease. See Supersede.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “surcease”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details