cess: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Historical/Legal (Tax sense); Technical (Cesspool component)
Quick answer
What does “cess” mean?
A tax, levy, or rate.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tax, levy, or rate.
A payment, assessment, or specific British land tax; a stop or cessation (chiefly in compounds like 'cesspool').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The noun 'cess' as a tax is more likely to appear in British historical texts. The term 'cesspool' is used in both dialects, but 'cesspit' is more common in UK English.
Connotations
In British/Irish English, 'cess' can still refer to a local property tax (e.g., 'rates and cesses'). In American English, it is virtually unknown outside of 'cesspool'.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary American English. In UK English, it has niche legal/historical usage and is recognized as part of 'cesspool'/'cesspit'.
Grammar
How to Use “cess” in a Sentence
the N of N (the cess of land)N on N (a cess on property)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cess” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The council sought to cess the landowners.
- (archaic) To assess or tax.
American English
- (Rare/Historical) The colony would cess its inhabitants for public works.
adverb
British English
- (Nonexistent)
American English
- (Nonexistent)
adjective
British English
- (Virtually non-existent) Used only in compound 'cess' as a noun adjunct (e.g., cess money).
American English
- (Virtually non-existent) No standard adjectival use.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Appears in historical studies of taxation and urban sanitation.
Everyday
Only encountered in 'cesspool' (metaphor for a corrupt place).
Technical
Used in plumbing/sanitation for 'cesspool' (a covered pit for sewage).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cess”
- Using 'cess' as a standalone modern term for 'tax'.
- Spelling 'cesspool' as 'sespool'.
- Confusing 'cessation' (a stopping) with 'cess'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare as a standalone word in modern English. It survives almost exclusively in the compound 'cesspool'/'cesspit' and in specific historical/legal contexts.
It is an archaic Irish expression, a curse wishing ill luck or misfortune upon someone.
Historically, yes, meaning 'to tax' or 'assess'. This usage is now obsolete except in historical writing.
A cesspit (or cesspool) is simply a sealed tank that stores sewage until emptied. A septic tank treats sewage biologically. 'Cesspit/cesspool' often implies a simpler, older, or more primitive system.
A tax, levy, or rate.
Cess is usually historical/legal (tax sense); technical (cesspool component) in register.
Cess: in British English it is pronounced /sɛs/, and in American English it is pronounced /sɛs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bad cess to you (archaic Irish curse, wishing ill fortune)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
'CESS' sounds like 'tax' with a 's' - think of an archaic SeS(S)ion of taxing.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOURCE OF CORRUPTION/WASTE (from 'cesspool')
Practice
Quiz
In modern English, 'cess' is most commonly encountered in which word?