"recess" means: A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
recess
(countable) A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.
Seen in the wild
11 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Hydronic Heater in Floor Cabinet, Recess #FloorCabinet #11InchHeight #Heating #RecessMount #Plumbing #CameoWhite
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BlueskyMay 2026
Republicans will come back from recess next week with just a handful of legislative days to surmount multiple procedural hurdles to fund immigration and border enforcement by President Donald Trump's June 1 deadline.
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BlueskyMay 2026
MTN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AS GOP SHUTS DOWN FOR RECESS open.substack.com/pub/bluepowe... #50501 #indivisible #MeidasMighty #TheDworkinReport #DeanBlundell #AaronParness #LevParness #MarcElias #NoKings
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BlueskyMay 2026
Thank you Mister "Didn't want to make recess appointment in 2016 so Hillary could do it once she's elected to office" man.
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BlueskyMay 2026
honestly i wouldn’t even have made a recess appointment. supreme court justices are appointed on the advice and consent of the senate. if they choose not to weigh in, sorry, goodwin liu is your newest justice
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Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(countable) A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.
Put a generous recess behind the handle for finger space.
Origin: The is borrowed from (also ), from recēdō (from re- + cēdō) + -tus; influenced by , (also and . is possibly influenced by and refers to a decree or resolution made just before a meeting ends. * * * (modern ) * *. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
"recess" means: A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"recess" means: A depressed, hollow, or indented space; also, a hole or opening.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Cluster: sad
Heard in the wild
“A kid was teasing my son for wearing a mask today at recess because he’s sick. Are we still stuck in the past? Did we learn nothing from Covid? To be fair, this kid teases my son a lot so he was probably just looking for something new.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It’s recess on Bluesky which means all the big accounts are huddled together trading reply guys like Pokemon cards.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A judge ordered a recess on Tuesday in the trial over the closure of Comeaux High School, stating she wants to review records from a recent Lafayette Parish School Board meeting.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“CONGRESS IS ON RECESS. Again? These turds are the most star spangled lazy pieces of crap ever. Serio.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Meanwhile, millions of school aged children go underfed or hungry at school. And schools are still cutting physical education and recess hours.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(countable) A hidden, innermost, or inaccessible place or part of a place.
The Liner train wagon is a simple underframe on bogies, with coned location points that engage recesses in the container bases.
Heard in the wild
“Hydronic Heater in Floor Cabinet, Recess #FloorCabinet #11InchHeight #Heating #RecessMount #Plumbing #CameoWhite”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Republicans will come back from recess next week with just a handful of legislative days to surmount multiple procedural hurdles to fund immigration and border enforcement by President Donald Trump's June 1 deadline.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“MTN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AS GOP SHUTS DOWN FOR RECESS open.substack.com/pub/bluepowe... #50501 #indivisible #MeidasMighty #TheDworkinReport #DeanBlundell #AaronParness #LevParness #MarcElias #NoKings”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Thank you Mister "Didn't want to make recess appointment in 2016 so Hillary could do it once she's elected to office" man.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“honestly i wouldn’t even have made a recess appointment. supreme court justices are appointed on the advice and consent of the senate. if they choose not to weigh in, sorry, goodwin liu is your newest justice”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK
(countable) A temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.
Spring recess offers a good chance to travel.
Heard in the wild
“Guys I got caught watching yaoi in recess 😭😭😭 My whole class is accusing me for being gay but I’m straight 😭😭😭”
— r/GenAlpha· Apr 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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Other words near "recess" (R)
receipts modereceipts queenreceipts sznreceivalreceptaclereceptionrecess appointmentrecession-corerec.gamerreckanreckonreckon
Browse all slang words starting with R.