cease

[ sees ]
/ sis /

verb (used without object), ceased, ceas·ing.

to stop; discontinue: Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.
to come to an end: At last the war has ceased.
Obsolete. to pass away; die out.

verb (used with object), ceased, ceas·ing.

to put a stop or end to; discontinue: He begged them to cease their quarreling.

noun

cessation: The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.

Origin of cease

1250–1300; Middle English ces(s)en < Old French cesser < Latin cessāre to leave off, equivalent to cess(us) (past participle of cēdere to withdraw, go; ced- go + -tus past participle suffix) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive ending; see cede

OTHER WORDS FROM cease

un·ceased, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for cease

British Dictionary definitions for cease

cease
/ (siːs) /

verb

(when tr, may take a gerund or an infinitive as object) to bring or come to an end; desist from; stop

noun

without cease without stopping; incessantly

Word Origin for cease

C14: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessāre, frequentative of cēdere to yield, cede

Idioms and Phrases with cease

cease