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
