cease
UK /siːs/ · US /sis/ verb, noun, proper noun
Forms ceases ceasing ceased ceasest ceasedst ceaseth
- verb (formal, intransitive) To stop. “And with that, his twitching ceased.”
- verb (formal, transitive) To stop doing (something). “And with that, he ceased twitching.”
- verb (obsolete, intransitive) To be wanting; to fail; to pass away, perish.
- noun (obsolete) Cessation; extinction (see without cease).
- proper noun A surname from German.
Synonyms
discontinue hold terminate absolve complete conclude consummate do end finalize finish fullcome get through round off stay stop wind up anchor astand blin give up quit lay off
Etymology
From Middle English cesen, cessen, from Middle French cesser (“to cease”), from Latin cessō (“leave off”), frequentative of cēdō (“to leave off, go away”). Compare secede.
Probably an Americanized form of German Zies.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To come to an end; to stop; to leave off or give over; to desist; as, the noise ceased "To cease from strife." Prov. xx. 3.
- verb To be wanting; to fail; to pass away.
- verb To put a stop to; to bring to an end. But he, her fears to cease Sent down the meek-eyed peace. Milton.
- noun Extinction. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [OE. cessen, cesen, F. cesser, fr. L. cessare, v. intemsive fr. cedere to withdraw. See Cede , and cf. Cessation.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cease”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details