First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1recede
verb re·cede \ri-ˈsēd\
re·ced·edre·ced·ing
Definition of RECEDE
intransitive verb
1
a : to move back or away : withdraw <a receding hairline> b : to slant backward
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Origin of RECEDE
Middle English, from Latin recedere to go back, from re- + cedere to go
Synonym Discussion of RECEDE
recede, retreat, retract, back mean to move backward. recede implies a gradual withdrawing from a forward or high fixed point in time or space <the flood waters gradually receded>. retreat implies withdrawal from a point or position reached <retreating soldiers>. retract implies drawing back from an extended position <a cat retracting its claws>. back is used with up, down, out, or off to refer to any retrograde motion <backed off on the throttle>.
Rhymes with RECEDE
accede, airspeed, bindweed, birdseed, blueweed, bourride, breast-feed, bur reed, burweed, cheerlead, chickweed, concede, crossbreed, cudweed, debride, degreed, duckweed, exceed, fairlead, fern seed, fireweed, flaxseed, force-feed, free reed, Godspeed, ground speed, gulfweed, half-breed, hand-feed, hawkweed, hayseed, high-speed, horseweed, impede, implead, inbreed, indeed, ironweed, Jamshid, jetbead, knapweed, knotweed, linseed, lip-read, milkweed, misdeed, mislead, misread, moonseed, nosebleed, off-speed, oilseed, pigweed, pinweed, pokeweed, pondweed, precede, proceed, proofread, ragweed, rapeseed, reseed, rockweed, seaweed, secede, self-feed, Siegfried, sight-read, silkweed, smartweed, snakeweed, sneezeweed, speed-read, spoon-feed, stall-feed, stampede, stickseed, stickweed, stinkweed, succeed, ten-speed, tickseed, warp speed, weak-kneed, witchweed, wormseed
2recede
verb re·cede \(ˌ)rē-ˈsēd\
Definition of RECEDE
transitive verb
: to cede back to a former possessor
Origin of RECEDE
re- + cede
First Known Use: 1771
RECEDING Defined for Kids
recede
verb re·cede \ri-ˈsēd\
re·ced·edre·ced·ing
Definition of RECEDE for Kids
1
: to move back or away <Floodwaters are receding.>
2
: to become smaller or weaker <… I heard … footsteps receding. — Avi, Crispin>
Word Root of RECEDE
The Latin word cedere, meaning “to go,” gives us the root ced. Words from the Latin cedere have something to do with going. To precede is to go before. To exceed is to go beyond a limit. To proceed is to go forward. To recede is to go back or away.
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