¹recede

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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

2

:  to grow less or smaller :  diminish, decrease <a receding deficit>

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Origin of RECEDE

Middle English, from Latin recedere to go back, from re- + cedere to go

First Known Use: 15th century

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

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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