surcease

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: sur=cease

CIDE DICTIONARY

surcease, n. [F. sursis, from sursis, p. p. of surseoir to suspend, postpone, defer, in OF., to delay, refrain from, forbear, L. supersedere. Surcease is not connected with E. cease. See Supersede.].

 Cessation; stop; end.  Longfellow.  [1913 Webster]
"It is time that there were an end and surcease made of this immodest and deformed manner of writing."  [1913 Webster]

surcease, v. t. 

 To cause to cease; to end.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
"The nations, overawed, surceased the fight."  [1913 Webster]

surcease, v. i. 

 To cease.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

surcease, n. & v. literary
--n. a cessation.
--v.intr. & tr. cease.

Etymology

ME f. OF sursis, -ise (cf. AF sursise omission), past part. of OF surseoir refrain, delay f. L (as SUPERSEDE), with assim. to CEASE

THESAURUS

surcease

abandonment, break, breakoff, breath, breather, breathing place, breathing space, breathing spell, breathing time, catharsis, cease, ceasing, cessation, cigarette break, cleansing, close, closing, cocktail hour, coffee break, deliverance, desinence, desist, desistance, discharge, discontinuance, discontinuation, discontinue, downtime, emotional release, enforced respite, freeing, give over, halt, happy hour, interlude, intermission, knock off, leave off, letup, lull, pause, purgation, purge, purging, quit, recess, release, relinquishment, removal, renunciation, reprieve, respite, rest, shutdown, spell, stay, stopping, suspension, tea break, termination, time out

ROGET THESAURUS

surcease

Cessation

VB cease, discontinue, desist, stay, halt, break off, leave off, hold, stop, pull up, stop short, stick, hang fire, halt, pause, rest, burn out, blow out, melt down, have done with, give over, surcease, shut up shop, give up, hold one's hand, stay one's hand, rest on one's oars repose on one's laurels, come to a stand, come to a standstill, come to a deadlock, come to a full stop, arrive, go out, die away, wear away, wear off, pass away, be at an end, disintegrate, self-destruct, intromit, interrupt, suspend, interpel, intermit, remit, put an end to, put a stop to, put a period to, derail, turn off, switch off, power down, deactivate, disconnect, bring to a stand, bring to a standstill, stop, cut short, arrest, stem the tide, stem the torrent, pull the check-string, pull the plug on, Int, hold!, stop!, enough!, avast!, have done!, a truce to!, soft!, leave off!, tenez!.