recess

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C,U] a period of time during the year when the members of a parliament, committee, etc. do not meet: Parliament went into its long summer recess. * The court is in recess until October. 2 [C] a short break in a trial in a court of law: The judge called a short recess. 3 [U] (AmE) = BREAK -< BREAK 4 [C] a part of a wall that is set further back than the rest of the wall, forming a space SYNALCOVE: a recess for books 5 [C,usually pl.] the part of a place that is furthest from the light and hard to see or get to: He stared into the dark recesses of the room. * (figurative) The doubt was still there, in the deep recesses of her mind. verb [oftenpassive] 1 (AmE) to take or to order a recess: [VN] The hearing was recessed for the weekend. [also V] 2 [VN] ~ sth (in / into sth) to put sth in a position that is set back into a wall, etc: The lights should be recessed into the ceiling. * recessed shelves