Recess - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

RECESS (Lat. recessus, a going back, withdrawal, from recedere, to withdraw), a term particularly used of a cessation of work or relief from duty, e.g. of the periods during the life of a parliament when it is not sitting. The word is also applied to an indentation in a line, especially of a small alcove sunk in the wall of a room. A particular use is the historical one for the acts and decrees of the Imperial Diet, the recessus Imperii, and also for those of the Hanseatic League. According to Du Cange (s.v. Recessus) the reason for the use of this word was that these decrees, &c. (codex deliberationum), were written out antequam a conventibus recedant proceres congregati.