1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Recess

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 I mperii, and also for those of the Hanseatic League. According to Du Change (s.v. Recesses) the reason for the use of this word was that these decrees, &c. (codex deliberationum), were written out antequam a conventibus recedant proceres congregati.