n. [ L. praecedere, praecessum, to go before: cf. F. précession. See Precede. ] The act of going before, or forward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lunisolar precession. (Astron.) See under Lunisolar. --
Planetary precession, that part of the precession of the equinoxes which depends on the action of the planets alone. --
Precession of the equinoxes (Astron.), the slow backward motion of the equinoctial points along the ecliptic, at the rate of 50.2″ annually, caused by the action of the sun, moon, and planets, upon the protuberant matter about the earth's equator, in connection with its diurnal rotation; -- so called because either equinox, owing to its westerly motion, comes to the meridian sooner each day than the point it would have occupied without the motion of precession, and thus precedes that point continually with reference to the time of transit and motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to pression; as, the precessional movement of the equinoxes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praecessor. ] A predecessor. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recessus, fr. recedere, recessum. See Recede. ] 1. A withdrawing or retiring; a moving back; retreat; as, the recess of the tides. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every degree of ignorance being so far a recess and degradation from rationality. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

My recess hath given them confidence that I may be conquered. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being withdrawn; seclusion; privacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the recess of the jury they are to consider the evidence. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

Good verse recess and solitude requires. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Remission or suspension of business or procedure; intermission, as of a legislative body, court, or school; as, the children were allowed to play in the school yard during recess. [ 1913 Webster ]

The recess of . . . Parliament lasted six weeks. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Part of a room formed by the receding of the wall, as an alcove, niche, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bed which stood in a deep recess. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A place of retirement, retreat, secrecy, or seclusion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Departure from this happy place, our sweet
Recess, and only consolation left. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Secret or abstruse part; as, the difficulties and recesses of science; the deepest recesses of the mind. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

7. (Bot. & Zool.) A sinus. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Recessed; p. pr. & vb. n. Recessing. ] To make a recess in; as, to recess a wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ G. ] A decree of the imperial diet of the old German empire. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having a recess or recesses; as, a recessed arch or wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Withdrawn; secluded. [ R. ] “Comfortably recessed from curious impertinents.” Miss Edgeworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Recessed arch (Arch.), one of a series of arches constructed one within another so as to correspond with splayed jambs of a doorway, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recessio, fr. recedere, recessum. See Recede. ] 1. The act of receding or withdrawing, as from a place, a claim, or a demand. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mercy may rejoice upon the recessions of justice. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Economics) A period during which economic activity, as measured by gross domestic product, declines for at least two quarters in a row in a specific country. If the decline is severe and long, such as greater than ten percent, it may be termed a depression. [ PJC ]

3. A procession in which people leave a ceremony, such as at a religious service. [ PJC ]

n. [ Pref. re- + cession. ] The act of ceding back; restoration; repeated cession; as, the recession of conquered territory to its former sovereign. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to recession or withdrawal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Recessional hymn, a hymn sung in a procession returning from the choir to the robing room; a recessional. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a hymn or other piece of music sung or played while a church congregation is leaving a service, or a choir is returning to the cloak room; a recessional hymn. [ PJC ]

a. 1. Going back; receding. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Genetics) Not appearing in the phenotype unless both alleles of the organism have the same trait; -- of genetic characteristics, or of the genes coding for such characteristics, in diploid organisms. Opposite of dominant; hemophilia is a recessive trait. [ PJC ]

n. (Genetics) A genetic trait determined by a recessive{ 2 } allele; a trait not appearing in the phenotype unless both chromosomes of the organism have the same allele; also, an allele which is recessive{ 2 }. [ PJC ]