A tax or levy, especially a property tax or assessment; also can refer to a piece of allocated land or a piece of luck (usually bad).
From Middle English cesse, derived from Old French cesse, which came from Latin cessus, past participle of cedere meaning 'to yield' or 'to pay.' Over time, the meaning shifted from 'payment' to 'tax.'
The word 'cess' reveals how taxes have always been unpopular—in Irish and Scottish history, the cess was so despised that it sparked actual rebellions, making it one of the most hated words in those regions!
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