Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CEDE
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connect today's word to others:
Today's cede is cousins with lots of familiar words, like process and succeed, as well as the words __cess__ate (which means "to make something needed") and __cess_nt (which means "annoying because it keeps on going and going"). Can you recall those two?
Basically, when you see a word with "ced," "ceed," or "ces" in it, it's a good bet that we got it from the Latin cedere, meaning "to go," "to go away," or "to yield."
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"CEDE"
To cede something is to give it up: to let someone else have it, or let someone else control it.
Pronunciation:
SEED
Part of speech:
Transitive verb.
(Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object.
You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone.
Likewise, you cede something.)
Other forms:
ceded, ceding
How to use it:
"Cede" is one of those basic, specific, formal verbs we should try to pick instead of vague ones like "give" or "let."
Usually we talk about ceding something to someone else: to cede power or authority or responsibility to another person, to cede land or territory to another nation, to cede a catch or a touchdown to another player, to cede an award or title to your competitor, to cede control over a project to your partner, to refuse to cede any ground to the person you're debating, etc.
If you want, you can leave out who you cede something to, and just talk about ceding something: to cede power, to cede a touchdown, to cede a title, to refuse to cede any ground, etc.
examples:
When Chrissy reduced her work hours, she ceded her spacious corner office to her replacement.
Unwilling to cede an inch of ground, I rejected not only his claims but also his assumptions and his sources.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "cede" means when you can explain it without saying "pass on to someone else" or "let another person take it away."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) has (enjoyed a certain advantage) (for a certain period of time) and is unwilling to cede (the spotlight, that power, that position, etc.)."
Example: "She's had solos in every concert for three years running and is unwilling to cede the spotlight."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. It's a collection of silly, sarcastic, satirical definitions of everyday words, and--lucky us!--it's in the public domain. In each issue this month, I'll give you one of Bierce's definitions and, if it's a tough one, I'll give you the word's first letter. And you try to come up with the word.
From our previous issue: Bierce defines it as "in man, the gateway to the soul; in woman, the outlet of the heart." It's a noun. What is it?
Answer: The mouth.
Try this today: Bierce defines it as "the art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather and exposing them to the critic." It's a noun. It starts with P. What is it?
review today's word:
1. One opposite of CEDE is
A. RETAIN
B. CONTAIN
C. ABSTAIN
2. With its newly elected leader alienating and offending allies left and right, the nation ceded _____.
A. a flagrant return to isolationism
B. irrevocably within only six months
C. moral and political leadership to others
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. C
Today's cede is cousins with lots of familiar words, like process and succeed, as well as the words __cess__ate (which means "to make something needed") and __cess_nt (which means "annoying because it keeps on going and going"). Can you recall those two?
"CEDE" To cede something is to give it up: to let someone else have it, or let someone else control it. Part of speech: Other forms:
When Chrissy reduced her work hours, she ceded her spacious corner office to her replacement.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "cede" means when you can explain it without saying "pass on to someone else" or "let another person take it away."
Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) has (enjoyed a certain advantage) (for a certain period of time) and is unwilling to cede (the spotlight, that power, that position, etc.)."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of CEDE is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |